New Delhi: After a number of twists and turns, veteran Congressmen Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor emerged as the 2 ultimate names who will race for the publish of Congress president.
Each Kharge and Tharoor filed their nominations Friday.
Because the clock struck 3 pm and the window to file nomination papers got here to an in depth, it was sure that Congress would get a non-Gandhi occasion chief after a niche of 24 years.
Kharge’s candidature was proposed by occasion leaders Ashok Gehlot, Digvijaya Singh, Pramod Tiwari, PL Punia, AK Antony, Pawan Kumar Bansal and Mukul Wasnik. Chief of the dissident G-23 group Anand Sharma and Manish Tewari are additionally proposers for Kharge’s candidature.
Kharge is likely one of the most skilled individuals within the occasion and is a Dalit chief too, Tewari mentioned.
Tharoor had introduced his willingness to throw in his hat for the interior polls final week and had additionally met Sonia Gandhi relating to it.
Addressing a press convention after submitting his papers, the Thiruvananthapuram MP known as his rival Kharge, who’s being seen because the favorite to win, ‘Bhishma Pitamah’ of the Congress.
“It’s a pleasant contest that’s going to occur. We’re not enemies or rivals. No disrespect to him however I’ll symbolize my concepts,” he advised reporters.
Tharoor known as Kharge, 80, a “candidate of continuity”, an obvious reference to the impression that the Karnataka chief is the selection of the Gandhis.
Whereas Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot was one of many entrance runners anticipated to run for the publish, he withdrew his title from the race Thursday and tendered an apology to interim chief Sonia Gandhi over the political fiasco that swirled up in his state in the course of the weekend.
Earlier, Gehlot had mentioned that he was able to contest the polls if Rahul Gandhi refuses to.
In a last-minute shock, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh additionally collected nomination papers to enter the fray however pulled out of the competition Friday morning.
The ultimate listing of candidates might be launched at 5 pm on 8 October and the elections for Congress president might be held on seventeenth. The counting of votes might be held two days afterward 19 October.
(with inputs from PTI)
Additionally learn: Digvijaya Singh drops out of Congress presidential race, publicizes help to Kharge