BENGALURU/BALLARI: Congress veteran and Rajya Sabha opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday took the centre stage with most believing that he is likely to become the first non-Gandhi in over two-and-a-half decades to head the Indian National Congress (INC).
On Monday, as voting began in the Congress office in Bengaluru, Kharge was seen interacting with several senior Congress leaders from Karnataka with a quiet confidence of winning the internal elections against his opponent and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor.
When asked about the possible outcome, Kharge told the media: “There is nothing which I can say now as the results will be out on October 19. If I say anything now then it will reflect poorly on me.”
The voting was brisk in Karnataka, with 502 of the 503 delegates casting their ballot on Monday. The sole voter who did not cast a ballot was on account of the person being out of the country.
In Ballari, 43 delegates, including former AICC president Rahul Gandhi, cast their ballot in a large container which was converted into a polling booth while on the Bharat Jodo Padayatra.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D K Shivakumar and Congress legislature party leader Siddaramaiah cast their ballot in Bengaluru.
Shivakumar defended Kharge’s statement of taking the advice of the Gandhi family if he is elected as the party president.
“There is nothing wrong in seeking the advice of the Gandhi family. In a lot of cases, past presidents help you understand a lot of issues as every state or district has different political scenarios. I too seek the assistance of Parameshwara, Kharge and Allam Veerbhadrappa,” said Shivakumar.
In Karnataka, a lot of votes were cast by block presidents and PCC leaders instead of the sitting legislators who could have cast their ballot.
“It is a sign of respect to the workers and local leaders by giving them the opportunity to vote for the national presidential elections. Some of the MLAs, including Mallikarjun Kharge’s son Priyank and my brother D K Suresh and even myself have handed over our votes in our hometown to our local leaders,” said Shivakumar.
On Monday, as voting began in the Congress office in Bengaluru, Kharge was seen interacting with several senior Congress leaders from Karnataka with a quiet confidence of winning the internal elections against his opponent and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor.
When asked about the possible outcome, Kharge told the media: “There is nothing which I can say now as the results will be out on October 19. If I say anything now then it will reflect poorly on me.”
The voting was brisk in Karnataka, with 502 of the 503 delegates casting their ballot on Monday. The sole voter who did not cast a ballot was on account of the person being out of the country.
In Ballari, 43 delegates, including former AICC president Rahul Gandhi, cast their ballot in a large container which was converted into a polling booth while on the Bharat Jodo Padayatra.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D K Shivakumar and Congress legislature party leader Siddaramaiah cast their ballot in Bengaluru.
Shivakumar defended Kharge’s statement of taking the advice of the Gandhi family if he is elected as the party president.
“There is nothing wrong in seeking the advice of the Gandhi family. In a lot of cases, past presidents help you understand a lot of issues as every state or district has different political scenarios. I too seek the assistance of Parameshwara, Kharge and Allam Veerbhadrappa,” said Shivakumar.
In Karnataka, a lot of votes were cast by block presidents and PCC leaders instead of the sitting legislators who could have cast their ballot.
“It is a sign of respect to the workers and local leaders by giving them the opportunity to vote for the national presidential elections. Some of the MLAs, including Mallikarjun Kharge’s son Priyank and my brother D K Suresh and even myself have handed over our votes in our hometown to our local leaders,” said Shivakumar.