Former Congress leader Ashwani Kumar has said the election of Mallikarjun Kharge as party president by a huge margin shows Sonia Gandhi has the last word in the organisation's internal politics.
She is likely to command such respect as long as she is active in the party in whatever capacity, Mr Kumar said on Wednesday while asserting that it is because party persons retain a sense of personal loyalty to her, which extends to the family.
"That Kharge was her undeclared choice is indisputable notwithstanding vehement denials by the establishment to the contrary. Sonia Gandhi has once again demonstrated her astute political judgment in using elections to demonstrate the family's pre-eminence in the party established over long years of exercise of political patronage," Mr Kumar said in a statement.
The former union minister also lauded Shashi Tharoor for taking on the challenge to contest the top Congress post and said he is no loser.
"The election process is a victory for him. He invested his energy in making a political statement by walking the talk. He has clearly outshone most of his once-upon-a-time colleagues in the G-23 grouping and has positioned himself as a challenger," Mr Kumar said.
The former law minister also said Tharoor has registered his presence on the national scene for the long run, noting that much will depend on how he conducts himself hereon and how the party treats him.
Mr Kumar said Shashi Tharoor need not complain about the absence of a level-playing field, which is never the case in a 'David versus Goliath' fight, noting that his tally of over 1,000 votes is a significant pointer.
Asserting that defining ideological battles cannot be captive to personal vanities and animosities, Kumar said, "The Congress needs conscientious dissenters willing and able to hold on to their views. Mallikarjun Kharge will need to be a consensus builder within the party and remove causes for the alienation of party persons over the years. In this necessary task, he will need the family's support."
Congress Calls BJP Leader "Bangladeshi", Himanta Sarma's "Italian" Rebuttal Sonia Gandhi To Campaign For Daughter Priyanka's Debut In Wayanad Bypoll Congress' "Apologise Or" Warning After Kangana Ranaut's Sonia Gandhi Jibe "Thousand Times Better...": Delhi Lt Governor's Surprise For AAP's Atishi Amazon Employee Greets Friend At Wedding, Dies Of Cardiac Arrest Indian Student In US Accidentally Shoots Himself Dead While Celebrating Birthday How A Childhood Stutter Marked Early Signs Of Dementia For Bruce Willis Parliamentary Panel To Discuss Judges' Code Of Conduct, Post-Retirement Jobs CBSE Opens Registration For Single Girl Child Scholarship 2024 Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.