Congress president polls: Rahul, other 40 leaders part of Bharat Jodo Yatra to vote at campsite in Karnataka

AICC general secretary of communications, Jairam Ramesh, said that the central election authority has decided to set up a polling booth at the campsite in Bellary where all delegates will vote. Karnataka PCC delegates will vote in Bengaluru on October 17.

Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi and 40 other leaders will vote for the party's president on October 17 at a Bharat Jodo Yatra campsite in Karnataka's Bellary. The day will be a rest day for the Bharat Jodo Yatra, allowing participants to vote in the election.

According to Jairam Ramesh, AICC general secretary of communications, the central election authority has decided to set up a polling booth at the Bellary campsite where all delegates will vote. He said Karnataka's PCC delegates would vote on October 17 in Bengaluru.

In response to criticism that the next Congress president could be remotely controlled by the Gandhi family, the former party chief, Rahul Gandhi, asserted that both candidates, Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor, are people of stature and understanding.

During the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Gandhi addressed a press conference in Turuvekere, saying, "Both of the candidates (in the polls) have positions, perspectives, and are people of stature and understanding. And to be honest, this tone is insulting to both of them. I don't believe either of them will be a remote control (chief)."

On October 18, the yatra will travel to Andhra Pradesh for three days, covering a distance of 95 kilometres. It will then return to Raichur in Karnataka. The yatra will then move to Telangana, according to Ramesh.

Counting votes will begin on October 19, and the results will be announced the following day.

Senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor are the two candidates vying for the top position in the party.