Congress President Polls Live Updates: Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge files his nomination papers for the post of party President, at AICC headquarters in New Delhi, Friday, Sept. 30, 2022. (Express Photo)Indian National Congress (INC) president Elections 2022 LIVE Updates: Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, who filed his nomination for the post of party president on Friday, said he was fighting for a big change in the party. He also appealed to all delegates to vote for him. “I thank senior leaders from all states for supporting me in the Congress presidential election,” Kharge told reporters at the AICC office after filing his nomination. His candidature was proposed by party leaders Ashok Gehlot, Digvijaya Singh, Pramod Tiwari, PL Punia, AK Antony, Pawan Kumar Bansal and Mukul Wasnik.
While Digvijaya Singh who was earlier speculated to enter the fray, pulled out of the contest, Congress leader, Shashi Tharoor filed his nominations today. So, the fight for the post is between Mallikarjun Kharge, Shashi Tharoor and KN Tripathi. Also, An initial version of Tharoor’s manifesto for the upcoming elections showed a distorted map of India, with parts of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh omitted from it. His office later corrected the omission, and a fresh version now includes the official map of India. Tharoor’s manifesto includes ‘ten tenets’ to ‘revitalise’ Congress. These include decentralisation, ‘reimagining’ the role of AICC, broadening participation, ‘reinvigorating’ election management, and increased focus on youth. On page four of the manifesto, under decentralisation, a distorted version of India’s map was printed.
BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla, meanwhile, called Mallikarjun Kharge a “proxy” for the Gandhi family, in a tweet. “After (Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok) Gehlot lost favour with Parivar (Gandhis), now 80-year-old Mallikarjun Kharge ji becomes the chosen remote controlled ‘proxy’ candidate, who is projected as an ‘official candidate’, contrast his nomination with Tharoor’s lacklustre one. Isn’t it clear the match is fixed for Kharge,” Poonawalla said.
While the legislators on the CM’s side have been vocal, those in the Pilot camp have not yet publicly commented on the tussle. (Express Photo)
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday asserted that he has a vision to strengthen the party which should be a vehicle for "change" as he filed his nomination for the party president poll. Addressing a press conference after filing his papers, the former Union minister called his rival Mallikarjun Kharge, who is also contesting and is being seen as the favourite to win, 'Bhishma Pitamah' of the Congress.
"It is a friendly contest that is going to happen. We are not enemies or rivals. No disrespect to him but I will represent my ideas," the articulate and savvy Kerala MP told reporters. Tharoor called Kharge, 80, a "candidate of continuity", an apparent reference to the impression that the Karnataka leader is the choice of the Gandhis. (PTI)
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday released a 10-point manifesto for the upcoming party presidential elections. One of the main points of the manifesto was to decentralise the organisation.
"Every party needs leadership, but at all levels and not just at the top. The Congress must empower the party in the states by giving real authority to the PCC Presidents, decentralize authority and truly empower the grassroots office-bearers of the party. We must provide a credible alternative to the B P's centralization of authority in its party affairs and in the affairs of governance. Re-imagining the organization, delegating powers to state, district and block leaders and empowering grassroots workers will not only free the new leader from the onerous burdens of over-administration, but help create the strong state leadership that in past eras strengthened the Congress' national appeal," the manifesto read.
Congress' Central Election Authority Chariman Madhusudan Mistry on Friday said that 14 forms were submitted by senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge, while Shashi Tharoor submitted five and KN Tripathi gave one form, while filing their nomination papers for the upcoming Congress presidential polls. "Tomorrow, we'll scrutinise forms&tomorrow evening we'll announce forms that are valid&names of candidates," Mistry said. (ANI)
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot backs the nomination of Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge in the upcoming party presidential polls. On Thursday, Gehlot pulled out of the race. (Express/Anil Sharma)
Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge filed his nomination for the post of party president on Friday at the AICC heaquarters in New Delhi. Congress leaders Digvijaya Singh and Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot were present during the filing of nomination. Kharge said he was fighting for a big change in the party. (Express/Anil Sharma)
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor talks about his reasons for contesting the upcoming Congress presidential polls, his plans for the party, the role of the Gandhi family, and the importance of the poll for the future of the Congress, and says he realises both his strengths and his weaknesses. Excerpts:
The BJP on Friday took a swipe at the Congress after senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge emerged as the favourite to win the poll for party president, suggesting that he will be a "proxy" and "remote-controlled."
"Mallikarjun Kharge at 80 is an inspiring choice for the Congress. He is young, energetic and just what the Congress needed to ensure its revival. He should just pick Dr Manmohan Singh's manual on 'Living by the Remote Control' and it is all sorted," BJP IT department head Amit Malviya said in a tweet. (PTI)
Shashi Tharoor knew it was coming as none of them had come forward to sign his nomination papers. But leading lights of the G-23 such as Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Anand Sharma, Manish Tewari, and Prithviraj Chavan on Friday sprang a surprise by rallying behind the unofficial “establishment” candidate Mallikarjun Kharge and signing his nomination papers as proposers.
The G-23 — an initial group of 23 leaders who wrote to party president Sonia Gandhi in 2020 seeking organisational reforms — it seems, has been co-opted by the leadership despite its intermittent private criticism of the style of functioning of All India Congress Committee (AICC) managers and venting of angst. Tharoor in an interview to The Indian Express said that “I am not contesting on G 23’s behalf nor am I seeking an endorsement from them. My candidacy aims to revive the party, not to disrupt it.” Read more
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The devout assign a role to destiny in the rise and fall of leaders. Others say it is a combination of various factors — timing, circumstances, diplomacy and craft – apart from, of course, machinations and intrigue. Who else would know it better than Mallikarjun Kharge, the man who lost out in the race for Karnataka Chief Ministership thrice and is now all set to helm the Congress.
The stab of those lost shots at being CM – in 1999, 2004 and 2013 – are known to still hurt the 80-year-old veteran who, despite being a staunch loyalist of the Gandhi family, lost out, respectively, to S M Krishna, his close friend Dharam Singh and Siddaramaiah. Manoj C G writes
Senior Congress leaders including Ashok Gehlot, Digvijaya Singh, Pramod Tiwari, PL Punia, AK Antony, Pawan Kumar Bansal and Mukul Wasnik have officially backed the nomination of Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge for the upcoming presidential polls.
After filing his nomination papers for the upcoming Congress presidential polls on Friday, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said, "I am fighting for a big change." Kharge also appealed to party delegates to vote for him in the election, PTI reporetd.
Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge filed his nomination papers in New Delhi on Friday for the upcoming party presidential elections and appealed to Congress workers to vote for him. Kharge said, “All leaders, workers, delegates & ministers who came in support of me today, encouraged me, I thank them. We’ll see what the results are, on 17th October; hopeful that I win.” (ANI)
As Rahul Gandhi concluded the Kerala leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Malappuram district Thursday, he took to Twitter to thank the people of the state. “Home is where you get love, and Kerala is home for me. No matter how much affection I give, I always get more in return from the people here. I am forever indebted. Thank you,” he wrote.
But the yatra was not all smooth-sailing. The ruling CPM and the Congress took every opportunity to hit out at each other. And, lately, at the centre of this back-and-forth was parotta and beef fry. Aneesa PA writes
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday after filing the nomination for the Congress president polls said, "I've a vision for Congress which I'll be sending to all delegates, we're going to seek their support... I'm here to be the voice of all party workers."
In his statement he also said, "We're very pleased to have signs of party colleagues from Kashmir to Kerala, from Punjab to Nagaland. I hope my campaign will appeal to them and will represent a way forward for the party."
Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday filed his nomination for the post of party president. His candidature was proposed by party leaders Ashok Gehlot, Digvijaya Singh, Pramod Tiwari, PL Punia, AK Antony, Pawan Kumar Bansal and Mukul Wasnik. G23 leaders Anand Sharma and Manish Tewari are also proposers for Kharge's candidature.
Kharge is one of the most experienced persons in the party and is a Dalit leader too, Tewari said.
Congress MP Deepender S Hooda on Friday said that he has signed Mallikarjun Kharge's nomination papers as a proposer.
He in a statement said, "I welcome Mallikarjun Kharge's nomination for Congress president post, confident that he will elected. Over the years, he has raised the voice of the people in Parliament. I've signed his nomination papers as a proposer."
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday submitted his nominations papers for the upcoming party president polls. Tharoor in a tweet said, "I have just submitted my nomination papers as a candidate for the presidential election of INC. It is a privilege to serve the only party in India with an open democratic process to choose its leader. Greatly appreciate Soniaji’s guidance and vision."
As the election for the Congress president’s post hots up, an unlikely candidate filed his nomination papers on Friday. Jharkhand Congress leader KN Tripathi said that he has filed his nomination today and will be contesting the election.
Congress leader Manish Tewari on Friday said that he along with colleague Anand Sharma are supporting the candidature of Mallikarjun Kharge for party president's poll. (PTI)