The race for the Congress president’s put up is on as senior Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor and Mallikarjun Kharge each filed their nomination papers on the AICC headquarters on Friday with the Karnataka social gathering loyalist rising as a transparent favorite. Former Jharkhand minister, Okay N Tripathi has additionally joined the fray, submitting his nomination on Friday as effectively.
The 80-year-old Kharge, flanked by prime Congress leaders, filed 14 units of nomination papers with the proposers together with Ashok Gehlot, Digvijaya Singh, A Okay Antony, Ambika Soni, Mukul Wasnik and members from the G-23 ginger group comprising Anand Sharma, Bhupinder Hooda, Prithviraj Chavan and Manish Tewari, whereas Tharoor, who was additionally a part of the G-23 group, filed 5 units of nomination papers. Former Jharkhand minister Tripathi filed a single set of ballot papers with Madhusudan Mistry, the chairman of the Congress’s Central Election Authority.
Mistry on Friday advised ANI that they’d acquired three types and would scrutinise them on Saturday and announce types which can be legitimate and names of the candidates on Saturday night. “None of those 3 is an official candidate of the social gathering. They’re contesting on their very own. Congress president has made it very clear that she’ll keep impartial all through the method & if somebody claims he has her blessings, it’s incorrect,” he added.
In the meantime Digvijaya Singh beat a retreat after saying his candidature and Ashok Gehlot pulled out of the race after realising it will price him Rajasthan chief ministership.
As a number of senior leaders rallied behind the him, the Karnataka minister, referred to as a celebration loyalist who has by no means crossed the ‘laxman rekha’ has emerged as a transparent favorite. Kharge, a Dalit chief and the son of a mill employee from the once-extremely backward Gulbarga, is a self-made man.
Individuals who have seen him since his first win within the 1972 Meeting elections, say he might rise within the social gathering hierarchy solely due to loyalty, persistence, huge administrative expertise and his skill to know any scenario. Additionally they reveal that his loyalty in the direction of the Gandhi household is non-negotiable.
A complete of 30 Congress leaders have proposed Mallikarjun Kharge’s identify for the election.
Former Jharkhand Minister KN Tripathi additionally joined the race, submitting his papers on Friday. Chatting with CNN-News18, Tripathi mentioned that everyone wished Rahul Gandhi to be the social gathering chief, however he was agency on his resolution of not submitting his nomination. “I noticed many leaders shopping for the nomination papers, so I additionally determined to fill my nomination type. We had been the primary to file it.” Whereas he’s thought-about a light-weight by many, he mentioned “I need to not take into consideration anybody else, however the Congress excessive command. I’ll respect no matter resolution the social gathering takes. Our leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have mentioned each Congress employee can contest for this prime put up. They’ve sacrificed the posts of Prime Minister and social gathering president.”
With inputs from News18, Businesses