Over 9000 Congress leaders voted today to usher in a non-Gandhi as the party chief in more than 20 years. With veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge seen as the favourite, his opponent Shashi Tharoor said he was "confident" despite the odds.
The Congress will elect a non-Gandhi president after 22 years in today's presidential election.
The elections are being held three years after Rahul Gandhi stepped down from the top post after the second straight election defeat of the Congress in 2019. The 52-year-old, who is currently leading the party's "Bharat Jodo" yatra, has firmly refused to return as president despite unrelenting pressure from a section of leaders.
Sonia Gandhi, who had taken a step back from party responsibilities, was persuaded to make a comeback as its interim chief in August 2019.
Here are the Highlights on the Congress presidential election:
The election of a new Congress president will not diminish the voice of the Gandhis, veteran leader P Chidambaram said today as the party voted to pick a non-Gandhi chief, the first in decades. "No one is saying the voice of the Gandhis will diminish. The new president must listen to their views in the Congress Working Committee (CWC), parliamentary board and party forums," Mr Chidambaram told NDTV.
"Absolutely not. Rahul rejected the same in Karnataka while answering this question. These are all used by critics of the Congress party. Two competent individuals are competing and 9,000 delegates will make their choice. Process is being monitored. Every effort to keep it free, fair polls. We are only party with independent election authority," said Jairam Ramesh.
Congress's interim chief Sonia Gandhi, who cast her vote in the morning, said, "I have been waiting for a long time for this day". Mrs Gandhi still remains chairperson of the party's parliamentary board and Gaurav Gogoi, the party's deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, has said Rahul Gandhi will remain the "face of the party for 2024 election".
Over 9000 Congress leaders voted today to usher in a non-Gandhi as the party chief in more than 20 years. With veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge seen as the favourite, his opponent Shashi Tharoor said he was "confident" despite the odds.
Commenting on the polls underway on Monday for the new Congress chief, Congress MP and former Goa chief minister Francisco Sardinha said Shashi Tharoor should have withdrawn from the poll race, to pave the way for Congress veteran Mallikarjun Kharge to get elected unopposed. "Ninety nine per cent of the Congressmen from Goa will vote for Mallikarjun Kharge," he said.
Relations With Gandhis After Party Polls Will Be "Same For Life": Ashok GehlotAs voting in the Congress presidential polls got underway on Monday, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, once a frontrunner for the post, said his relationship with the Gandhi family will be the "same for life".
"Congress party has set an example for the country by conducting open, democratic and transparent elections. I believe whoever wins this election will get full support from all members of the party": Rajasthan Congress MLA @SachinPilot | reported by news agency ANI pic.twitter.com/Hb94V1HHks
- NDTV (@ndtv) October 17, 2022
"Congress President Elections Are Free, Fair And Transparent": Madhusudan MistryCongress' central election authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry on Monday said he is satisfied with the party's presidential polls process.
Congress is voting for its first non-Gandhi chief in over 20 years https://t.co/q6TeZnkKaR pic.twitter.com/jsF5SIPqP8
- NDTV (@ndtv) October 17, 2022
Congress President Election - Exclusive: Mallikarjun Kharge Says Predicting Results Will Show I've Too Much EgoAs the Congress voted for a new party president today, Mallikarjun Kharge refused to predict the winner, saying he wouldn't like to as it would "show his ego".
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi casts his vote to elect the next party president at Bharat Jodo Yatra campsite in Ballari, Karnataka. | reported by news agency ANI pic.twitter.com/YbaeIZeWAF
- NDTV (@ndtv) October 17, 2022
हमारे लिए लोकतंत्र हमारी धमनियों में रक्त के साथ बहने वाला विचार है और इसकी हर हाल में रक्षा करेंगे, मजबूत करेंगे।
- Congress (@INCIndia) October 17, 2022
कांग्रेस मुख्यालय में अध्यक्ष पद के लिए जारी मतदान और कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष श्रीमती सोनिया गांधी जी। pic.twitter.com/FyccfkWW0b
Delhi | Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh casts his vote in the #CongressPresidentPolls pic.twitter.com/8zl83m2mGN
- NDTV (@ndtv) October 17, 2022
"Had Been Waiting For Long": Sonia Gandhi Casts Vote In Congress PollsCongress president Sonia Gandhi today cast her vote in the party's polls to elect her successor.
"Without the Gandhis, the Congress party cannot survive": DK Shivakumar: Karnataka Congress chief pic.twitter.com/tEsgFZB2qk
- NDTV (@ndtv) October 17, 2022
Priyanka Gandhi after casting her vote
#Karnataka | Congress presidential election candidate Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) casts his vote in Bengaluru. pic.twitter.com/6eL6jxbf3O
- NDTV (@ndtv) October 17, 2022
"Today is a historic day, the #CongressPresidentPolls is taking place after 22 years. This election gives the message of internal harmony in the party. My relations with the Gandhi family will be same even after October 19": Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot pic.twitter.com/z96DflMkMd
- NDTV (@ndtv) October 17, 2022
Delegates of the Tamil Nadu unit of the Congress party vote in the #CongressPresidentPolls
- NDTV (@ndtv) October 17, 2022
NDTV's Sam Daniel reports from Chennai pic.twitter.com/2Mm0YZzH48
Congress presidential elections | Congress MPs P Chidambaram, Jairam Ramesh and other party leaders cast their votes at the AICC office in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/IUMhCjKdst
- ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2022
Spoke to Mallikarjun @kharge this morning to wish him well & to reaffirm my respect for him & our shared devotion to the success of @incIndia.
- Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) October 17, 2022
#Delhi | Congress party's Central Election Authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry conducts final checks before voting for the party's presidential election begins at the AICC office. pic.twitter.com/UXyJv9AIda
- NDTV (@ndtv) October 17, 2022
Congress set to have its first non-Gandhi chief in over 20 years as Mallikarjun Kharge, Shashi Tharoor face off in internal election
- NDTV (@ndtv) October 17, 2022
NDTV's Sanket Upadhyay reports from outside the Congress headquarters in Delhi pic.twitter.com/gmcnWXKBSM
This is the polling booth at the #BharatJodoYatra campsite in Sanganakallu that will open at 10am. It is the meeting room container converted into a polling booth for the Congress Presidential elections. pic.twitter.com/3LvvALEHp9
- Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) October 17, 2022
