Congress President Election Live: Shashi Tharoor is up against Mallikarjun Kharge as voting for the Congress presidential elections began at 10 am today. At least 9,000 Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates are voting to elect a Congress president. The voting has now concluded and the counting will be done on October 19.
Also Read: Mallikarjun Kharge vs Shashi Tharoor: Stage set! Who will be the next Congress President?
This will be the first time in 24 years when the party will be electing a non-Gandhi to its top-post. Earlier, party communications-in-charge Jairam Ramesh said that Rahul Gandhi, who is currently doing a Bharat Jodo Yatra, will be casting his vote in Karnataka along with 40 other PCC candidates. Party’s interim president Sonia Gandhi has served as the Congress chief for the longest period of time from 1998 to 2017 after which, Rahul Gandhi took the top post. Sonia Gandhi has been the interim party chief since 2019 after Rahul Gandhi stepped down.
In the run-up to the elections, Kharge told The Indian Express that he would seek the advice of the Gandhis time and again while Tharoor told IE that he had faced differential treatment at the hands of several PCC chiefs and leaders. Tharoor claimed that while many senior leaders showed their support to Kharge, the same leaders didn’t meet him. Both the leaders have promised to execute the Udaipur Declarations to its entirety, if voted to power, and also talked about taking everyone along while making decisions. In his manifesto, Tharoor has called for decentralisation within the party.
Congress president, Congress, congress president election, congress president polls 2022, Shashi tharoor, mallikarjun kharge
Voting for the Congress presidential elections has concluded, ANI reported. The counting of votes will take place on October 19.
“Delegates participating in the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' voted for the post of Congress President by participating in the voting process from the camp site itself,” tweets Congress.
'भारत जोड़ो यात्रा' में सम्मिलित डेलिगेट्स ने कैंप साइट से ही मतदान प्रक्रिया में हिस्सा लेकर कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष पद के लिए मतदान किया। pic.twitter.com/otQPTkPgJv— Congress (@INCIndia) October 17, 2022Around 250 Congress delegates out of the total 407 in Gujarat have so far voted for the polls underway on Monday to elect the next All India Congress Committee (AICC) president, a party spokesperson said. Gujarat Congress president Jagdish Thakor and former state chief Amit Chavda were among those who exercised their franchise at the state party headquarters in Paldi area of the city. There was a queue of voters in the morning. Around 250 delegates, including senior state Congress leaders, cast their votes till 1.30 pm, party spokesperson Alok Sharma said. (PTI)
After voting, Sachin Pilot told that the way polls were conducted in a “transparent and democratic” manner, the party has set an example for all.
“I am sure that the Congress Party will emerge stronger under the new National President across India,” AMit Patkar tweeted after casting his vote.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel casts his vote.
Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi casts his vote on the sidelines of the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Karnataka.
“Spoke to him earlier today, both of us are contesting to strengthen @INCIndia to build a stronger & better nation for the future generations,” tweeted Mallikarjun Kharge.
“Whatever happens, may Indian National Congress win,” says Congress Presidential candidate Shashi Tharoor after casting his vote.
https://twitter.com/ShashiTharoor/status/1581892457242845185
Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole and former state unit head Balasaheb Thorat were among the first few leaders to cast their vote on Monday to elect the next All India Congress Committee (AICC) chief.
Voting is underway for the Congress presidential polls as senior leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor face-off for the post of the AICC chief.
A total of 797 Congress delegates from Maharashtra are eligible to cast their votes. Out of these delegates, 561 are from the party's Maharashtra Pradesh unit, while 236 belong to the Mumbai unit.
The polling is being held at Tilak Bhavan in Dadar area of Mumbai. (PTI)
Former India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh cast his vote today at the AICC headquarters in Delhi.
When asked if she is happy after casting her vote, Sonia Gandhi told reporters, “I have been waiting for a long time for this.”
Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi casts her vote along with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Party's interim president Sonia Gandhi and daughter Priyanka Gandhi cast their votes in AICC headquarters in Akbar Road, Delhi.
Congress Presidential candidate Mallikarjun Kharge votes in Bengaluru.
Reacting to the ongoing election for the party's top post, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot called it a “historic day.”
Senior Congress leaders including P Chidambaram and Jairam Ramesh cast their votes.
The Congress presidential polls are free, fair and transparent, party general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on Monday and hailed the elections as “historic”.
He said the Congress is the only political party that has elections for the post of president and also the only one to have a TN Seshan-like central election authority chairman in Madhusudan Mistry. (PTI)
Polling for the Congress president's post commenced at 10 AM at the KPCC state headquarters here where 310 Congress delegates from Kerala are expected to cast their vote on Monday either for Shashi Tharoor or Mallikarjun Kharge for the party chief's position.
While many of the senior leaders from Kerala, the home turf of Tharoor, have openly declared their support for Kharge, the MP from Thiruvananthapuram has claimed that he has support of the youth leaders and party workers.
Senior party leaders like Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief K Sudhakaran, V D Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala and K Muraleedharan have said that Kharge was better suited for the party president post as he has risen through the ranks and was more experienced than Tharoor. (PTI)
“Spoke to Mallikarjun Kharge this morning to wish him well & to reaffirm my respect for him & our shared devotion to the success of Indian National Congress, tweeted party presidential candidate Shashi Tharoor ahead of the voting.
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https://twitter.com/ShashiTharoor/status/1581864437056610305
Congress' Central Election Authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry checks the ballot boxes ahead of the party presidential polls.
The voting to elect the next Congress President will commence shortly.
A total of 75 Congress delegates including party's interim pres Sonia Gandhi, Gen Secy Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, former PM Manmohan Singh & other CWC members & senior leaders will cast their votes in AICC headquarters, Delhi 280 delegates will cast their votes in Delhi Congress office. (ANI)
“This is the polling booth at the #bharatjodoyatra campsite in Sanganakallu that will open at 10am. It is the meeting room container converted into a polling booth for the Congress Presidential elections,” tweets party communications-in-charge Jairam Ramesh.
https://twitter.com/Jairam_Ramesh/status/1581846537893994496
Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi & former PM Manmohan Singh will vote in Delhi. Rahul Gandhi will vote at Bharat Jodo Yatra campsite, Bellari. (ANI)
Electors in the Congress presidential polls have been asked to put a tick mark against the name of their choice on the ballot paper after AICC president candidate Shashi Tharoor's team took up with the party's top poll body the issue of its earlier directive that voters write “1” to reflect their preference, citing that it may lead to confusion, sources said on Sunday.
In instructions for polling issued on Saturday, Congress central election authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry had said PCC Members “will mark '1' on the ballot paper against the name of the candidate and fold the ballot paper to put it into the ballot box”. Tharoor's team took up the issue with Mistry, stating that this may confuse the voters as Kharge is on serial number 1 and Tharoor on serial number 2 on the ballot paper and writing '1' in front of the name of the preferred candidate would put the latter at a “disadvantage, the sources said. (PTI)
Visuals from Congress presidential candidate Shashi Tharoor's residence ahead of the party president elections.
On the eve of voting to elect the new Congress president, candidate Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said he is batting on a track with an “uneven bounce” and doesn't want “pitch tampering”.
Asked to comment on the fairness of the polls, Tharoor in an interview told PTI, “I had said there is an uneven playing field but that doesn't mean that (Madhusudan) Mistryji is unfair. I think he is very fair-minded, and it is feasible to get a fair result from his system. However, in the party we see that the work done by some leaders isn't quite fair.” “I am batting on a pitch with uneven bounce but I have to bat on it. I just don't want there to be any pitch tampering,” he said. (PTI)
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday said that he did not violate the AICC guidelines for the party's president election when he became the proposer of Mallikarjun Kharge for the president's post.
“I had become the proposer of Kharge. Some people created a controversy that I had campaigned in support of Kharge. If I had to campaign, I would have gone to every state. I didn't do that,” Gehlot said.
“Can't I make an appeal for the person whose name I have proposed?” Gehlot asked, talking to reporters after addressing a event of Rajiv Gandhi Rural Olympics. (PTI)
Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said the Gandhi family has struggled to strengthen the party, and he would have no shame in taking their advice and support in case he is elected party president.
Kharge, considered close to the Gandhis, joined Rahul Gandhi in Bellary on Saturday for the Bharat Jodo Yatra and later addressed a public meeting there.
The veteran leader said he is the “delegates' candidate” in this polls to the party's highest post, scheduled for October 17.
Responding to a question about talk that he would be remote-controlled by the Gandhi family, Kharge said, “They say such things as there is nothing else to tell. The BJP indulges in such a campaign and others follow it. Sonia Gandhi has worked for 20 years in the organisation…Rahul Gandhi was also president…they have struggled for the party and put their strength for its growth.” Congress delegates will vote on Monday to elect their party president. Kharge, who is up against party leader Shashi Tharoor, will cast his vote at the Karnataka Congress office in Bengaluru in the morning, sources close to him said. (PTI)
Live visuals from the AICC headquarters in Delhi ahead of the Congress presidential polls. (ANI)
