Congress president polls: Not to oppose, but to support party, says Mallikarjun Kharge after filing nomination
Veteran Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, a front runner for the party's presidential polls, said that he had not entered elections to oppose anyone but to strengthen the party. Adding that he entered the polls after senior and young leaders urged him to enter the fray.
FollowThe Congress presidential candidate, Mallikarjun Kharge, on Sunday said that he entered the race not to oppose anyone but to strengthen the party. Kharge said that he entered the race after senior and young leaders urged him to do so.
He stated that, following the party's 'one person, one post' principle, he resigned as Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha on the day he filed his nomination.
In a press conference, flanked by Deepender Hooda, Syed Naseer Hussain, and Gourav Vallabh, Kharge said, "There is unemployment, inflation is rising, the gap between rich and poor is widening, and the BJP's promises remain unfulfilled."
Gourav Vallabh has resigned as a Congress spokesperson, along with Hooda and Hussain, and will campaign for Kharge in the AICC president election.
When asked about Shashi Tharoor's remarks that he is a candidate for change while Kharge is a candidate for continuity and the status quo, Kharge said that after the elections, any decision on reform would be made collaboratively rather than by one person.
He also denied that the Gandhi family supported him, claiming that other leaders urged him to contest.Â
After former Jharkhand minister, K N Tripathi's nomination was rejected on Saturday, Kharge and Tharoor were left in the race for the Congress presidential nomination.
According to a notification by Congress on Thursday, the nomination period for the election was from September 24 to September 30.
The deadline for submitting nomination papers was October 1, and the deadline for withdrawing nominations is on October 8. On October 8 at 5 pm, the final list of candidates will be announced.
Voting will happen on October 17 if necessary. Counting votes will begin on October 19, and the results will be announced on the same day.
The election will be attended by over 9,000 Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates.
(With inputs from PTI)
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