"I do not think I need any manifesto for my election," M Kharge said. (File)
Congress presidential candidate Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday charged the BJP with having a "malicious intent" towards the Nehru-Gandhi family and showing scant regard for its contributions and sacrifices.
While touring Bihar to canvass for the post of Congress president, M Kharge told a press conference in Patna that the Bharat Jodo Yatra of Rahul Gandhi was "not aimed at electoral benefits" but intended to wage a bigger battle against politics of divisiveness that the BJP allegedly practiced.
"The BJP keeps whining that there is no internal democracy in the Congress. This is false. All decisions are taken in our party after due consultations and following a due procedure. It is they who do not care for such niceties. They change chief ministers in states ruled by their party at will. People are appointed, given extensions without any explanation", alleged M Kharge.
The octogenarian asserted that he was still of the view that Rahul Gandhi would have been the best choice for leading the party formally and said that he was asked to throw his hat in the ring "barely 18 hours before the filing of nomination papers".
He, however, did not specify who asked him to file his nomination papers. M Kharge, who has been one of the most combative parliamentarians of his party added that he respected Gandhi's decision that "nobody from their family should become the party president".
However, when asked about the BJP's charge that Congress leaders' deference towards the Nehru-Gandhi family indicated that the "dynasty" will continue to control the party by proxy, M Kharge responded with disgust.
"It is reflective of malicious intent (kalushit manasikta) of the BJP-RSS. They cannot speak well of anybody. Can anybody deny the immense contributions and huge sacrifices made by the family? Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have together been party presidents for more than 20 years. What is wrong in party leaders seeking their advice", asked the Congress presidential candidate.
M Kharge was also asked about what he thought of the efforts to forge opposition unity by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his new ally.
"I will think over it and give my reply once I am through with the election process and get elected", he replied.
He also said "Bharat Jodo Yatra must not be seen in terms of electoral dividends. It is aimed at defeating those who are hell-bent upon Bharat Todo (divide India), in the name of religion, caste, linguistic and regional identities. Rahul Gandhi's effort is aimed at telling the people that the Constitution, which was framed in keeping with the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, was under duress".
M Kharge, whose candidature came on the back of flip-flops by veterans like Ashok Gehlot and Digvijaya Singh, insisted that organisational polls in the party were like 'ghar ki baat' (a family affair) but landed a good-humoured jibe at Shashi Tharoor, without mentioning the latter by name.
Shashi Tharoor, a Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, is also in the race for the post.
"I do not think I need any manifesto for my election ... I do not believe in garnering publicity through too many media interviews", said M Kharge.
He, however, reiterated that fulfilling the promises made in the 'Udaipur Declaration', passed at the party's mega conclave earlier this year, was high on his agenda.
"The Udaipur Declaration is something by which my rival, as well as I, are equally bound. I promise that once I am elected I will try to fulfil the promise of 50 per cent representation to those aged under 50 years in the organisation at all levels. This age group transcends barriers and includes all - women, Dalits, minorities, the general category", M Kharge added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)