Some sought Rahul Gandhi help to make me quit polls: Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was asked by some party leaders to seek withdrawal of Shashi Tharoor’s candidature, the Thiruvananthapuram MP, who has made an aggressive bid to its top post, claimed on Tuesday.
Tharoor, who is in Kerala as part of his AICC president post election campaign, told reporters that Gandhi said he would not ask the former to withdraw as a contest would benefit the grand old party. “He reminded me that he has been saying so for the past 10 years that there should be a contest for the party chief’s post. “He also told me that some persons have asked him to request me to withdraw my candidature. He told me he will not do so. He said I should not withdraw and that I should contest in the election,” the Thiruvananthapuram MP said.
Earlier in the day, he said that he never expected big leaders to support him and does not expect it even now, but at the same time he needs everyone’s backing. The statement came in the wake of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K Sudhakaran publicly declaring his support for veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge for the party chief's post.
“I was not expecting any support from the big leaders of the party and I am not expecting that now either. I will not betray those who have supported me till now. Their confidence in me is what gives me the strength to move forward. ”