Congress Only Party To Have System For "Electing" President: Jairam Ramesh

With the Congress president polls just weeks away, senior party leader Jairam Ramesh on Friday highlighted the party's "consensus" and said that his party was the only one to have a system for the party supremo's post.

"Congress is the only party which has a system for electing a president. Congress' greatest contribution to Indian politics has been consensus. When that is not made possible, we have an election. Every voter has QR coded voter ID card. This is part of democratic politics," said Congress Communications in charge Jairam Ramesh.

His remarks came while addressing a press conference in Gundlupete, Chamarajanagar in Karnataka.

Stressing on the ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra, the veteran leader mentioned that it was the main narrative and show of the party.

"Everything happening in the Congress party is a sideshow, the main show is only the Bharat Jodo Yatra, it is the narrative. It is a transformation of Indian politics, it is the transformation of the Congress party," he added.

Earlier in the day, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said that he has filed his nomination for the president of Congress and was fighting for a big change in the party.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha has been backed by leaders like Manish Tewari, Anand Sharma, and others of the Group of 23 (those who are fighting for reforms in the party), and his candidature was proposed by senior leaders including A K Antony, Ashok Gehlot, Digvijaya Singh, Mukul Wasnik, Pramod Tiwari among others.

"I thank all the leaders, workers, delegates, and ministers who came in support of me today and encouraged me. We will see the results on October 17. I am hopeful that I will win," Mr Kharge said addressing a press conference after filing nominations at All India Congress Committee office in Delhi today.

"I have been connected to the ideology of Congress since my childhood. I used to campaign for the same Gandhi - Nehru ideology when I was in class 8 and 9," the 80-year-leader said adding that the efforts to revive the party shall continue.

Soon after Mr Kharge's nomination - filing, Congress leader Manish Tewari extended support to him and said, "Mallikarjun Kharge is a senior leader of the Congress party. I and Anand Sharma have come to support his nomination here."

Notably, Congress MP and G-23 member Shashi Tharoor and Jharkhand leader KN Tripathi have also filed their nomination for the party president post today.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)