NEW DELHI: Ahead of the party’s presidential poll, the rift in the Congress seems to have deepened, with some Pradesh Congress Committees (PCC) declaring support for Mallikarjun Kharge over Shashi Tharoor. The Thiruvananthapuram MP is taking on the senior leader in the race for the top post. The election will be held on October 17 and the last date of withdrawal of nomination is October 8.
Though the party’s central election authority issued guidelines barring office bearers from campaigning for candidates contesting the election, PCCs in Telangana and Kerala openly announced support for Kharge on the same day. Releasing a set of guidelines on Monday, the CEC said that those who wish to campaign for the candidates have to resign from their organisational post.
The Telangana PCC on Monday even urged Tharoor to withdraw from the contest, while leaders of Karnataka PCC have also extended support to Kharge’s candidature. Speaking to this paper, a senior leader from Assam said that though they didn’t receive any direct order from the high command to vote for Kharge, the signals from the top are indicative of their preference.
“Most of our delegates are rooting for Kharge as they are aware that he is the choice of the high command. It was clear from the way senior leaders rallied around him on the day the nominations were filed,” said the leader.Another leader pointed out that some states are under pressure to back Kharge as rumours are rife that those PCCs where Tharoor gets more votes will be dissolved.
During his campaign in Kerala, Tharoor tried to quell the fears of the Congress workers by saying that election will be done through secret ballot. “It wouldn’t be possible to learn which PCC voted for whom. The ballot boxes will be opened in Delhi in the presence of candidates,” he told media persons.
Tharoor also revealed that even Rahul Gandhi was asked to persuade him to withdraw from the race. “Rahul Gandhi told me that some party leaders have asked him to persuade me to withdraw. But he refused to do so. He said I should contest the election. He reminded me that he has been saying so for 10 years that there should be a contest for the party’s president post,” Tharoor said during his election campaign in Kerala.
Knives were out in the open in the Kerala unit after Tharoor reached the state for his campaigning. KPCC chief K Sudhakaran publicly supported Kharge’s candidature. While Tharoor received support from young leaders, the division in the party ranks was apparent with leaders such as A K Antony and K Muraleedharan endorsing Kharge.Another leader from Uttar Pradesh told this newspaper that the appointment of a new PCC chief in the middle of the election shows that it’s not a ‘free and fair’ one.
Tharoor’s move
During his campaign in Kerala, Tharoor tried to quell the fears of the Congress workers by saying that election will be done through secret ballot