Congress president poll: Shashi Tharoor first to officially enter fray

Senior leader and MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday (September 24) officially became the first party leader to enter the contest for the election of the Congress president.

According to an ANI report, on Saturday, Tharoor’s representative collected the nomination papers from Madhusudan Mistry, the party’s Central Election Authority chairman, and he requested five sets of nomination forms.

The Congress had on Thursday issued notification for the party president post and the filing of nominations began on Saturday and will end on September 30. The election will be held on October 17 and the new party chief will be announced two days later.

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Apart from Tharoor, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is the other candidate who has confirmed to run for the party chief election.

“I will fix the date (to submit the nomination papers) after going (back to Rajasthan), but I have decided that I will have to contest. It is a question of democracy and let us make a new start,” Gehlot said recently.

On speculations about Tharoor contesting, he had said, “There are Congress friends. Even if they contest, there is no issue. After the results, we should work together to strengthen the Congress at the block, village, district levels and also move forward making our (Congress) thought process as the base so that we emerge as a strong opposition.”

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Earlier, Tharoor had met the party’s interim chief Sonia Gandhi on Monday at her residence. He, however, had not disclosed what transpired during the meeting.

Tharoor has been a member of the G-23 or group of 23 leaders and a signatory to the letter to Sonia demanding organisational overhaul. The G-23 has also been critical of the Congress leadership.

Congress General Secretary in-charge for Jharkhand Avinash Pandey also met the Congress president at her residence and is learnt to have discussed the political situation in the state.

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Gehlot had confirmed that none from the Gandhi family will contest. “I requested Rahul (Gandhi) Ji and told him that the Rajasthan unit and others have passed resolutions urging him to take over. I tried my best. He told me that he has made a decision and that none from the Gandhi family will contest. He made it clear.”

(With inputs from agencies)

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