Congress president poll: Voting underway in Kharge vs Tharoor contest
Voting began on Monday (October 17) to elect the new Congress president with two candidates – Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor in the fray.
Some 9,100 delegates of the Congress party – MLAs, MPs, some office bearers as well as ordinary party members chosen through an internal selection process – will vote today to elect their new national president for the first time in 22 years.
The Congress’ central election authority (CEA) will conduct the counting of votes and declare the election result on October 19.
P Chidambaram, Jairam Ramesh were among the early leaders who cast their votes in Delhi.
Also read: Explained: How Congress’ first presidential poll in 22 years will be conducted
“It is a historic occasion, Congress is the only political party that has elections for the post of president. Congress presidential polls are free, fair and transparent,” Ramesh said after casting his vote.
Rahul Gandhi will cast his vote in Ballari (Karnataka) during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. The party’s interim president Sonia Gandhi is expected to cast her vote around 11 am, Ramesh said.
Also read: Congress president poll: Shashi Tharoor releases manifesto
The ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra, led by Rahul, will have a rest day today as 47 delegates will vote at a camp site in Sanganakallu, Karnataka.
Day 40: 17th October 2022- Bharat Jodo Yatra
_Rest Day_
The elections for Congress Party President will be held on the 17th of October between 10am and 4 pm at the camp site in Sanganakallu.
— Congress (@INCIndia) October 16, 2022
Ahead of the poll, the party, on its official Twitter handle said voters have to put a “tick” mark against the name of the candidate whom they wish to vote, in the ballot paper. “Putting any other symbol or writing a number would make the vote invalid,” it said.
अति आवश्यक सूचना
कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष चुनाव की मतदान प्रक्रिया
– बैलट पेपर में दो उम्मीदवारों के नाम हैं।
– जिस उम्मीदवार को आप वोट करना चाहते हैं, उसके नाम के आगे टिक मार्क का निशान ☑️ लगाएं।
– कोई अन्य निशान या नम्बर लिखने पर वोट गलत माना जाएगा। pic.twitter.com/OH4CrHsbAP— Congress (@INCIndia) October 16, 2022
The 80-year-old Kharge is the favourite to win the election with majority of the state units openly backing the senior leader from Karnataka. Tharoor, the three-term Thiruvananthapuram MP has repeatedly averred to “an uneven playing field”.
Ahead of the voting on Monday, 66-year-old Tharoor said he was confident and admitted that odds are stacked against him.
Also read: Rahul: Kharge, Tharoor ‘people of stature’, ‘remote control’ tone insulting
“I’m confident. The fate of the Congress party is in the hands of party workers. The odds have been stacked against us as the party leaders and establishment were overwhelmingly with the other candidate… I believe the revival of Congress has begun. Today I spoke to Mr Kharge and said whatever has happened, we remain colleagues and friends,” Tharoor said in Thiruvananthapuram.
The party has set up 36 polling stations that will collectively account for 67 polling booths across all Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) and territorial Congress headquarters as well as at the party’s national headquarters at 24, Akbar Road in Delhi.
Once all delegates at a polling station have cast their ballots, the ballot boxes will be sealed by the returning officers and polling agents of the two candidates will sign off on the seal. The sealed ballot boxes will be brought to Delhi by the returning officers by flight either on October 17 evening or October 18.
A strong room has been installed at the AICC headquarters where the sealed ballot boxes will be stored till the counting of ballots begins on October 19. The counting of votes is expected to be over by noon following which Madhusudan Mistry, as chairperson of the CEA, will declare the winner.
Spoke to Mallikarjun @kharge this morning to wish him well & to reaffirm my respect for him & our shared devotion to the success of @incIndia.
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) October 17, 2022
