Shashi Tharoor, who is part of the G23 and also a contender for the top party post, has the support of only a handful of leaders from the faction. The rest have decided to support Kharge, who officially launched his election campaign on Sunday.
Deepender Hooda, Salman Khurshid, Ashok Gehlot, Digvijaya Singh, Manish Tewari, Prithviraj Chavan, and several others have backed Kharge’s candidacy.
The 80-year-old leader is a known Gandhi family loyalist who entered the fray at the eleventh hour after the political crisis in Rajasthan, which saw Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot bow out of the race. Several top leaders, including from the G23 faction, had flanked Kharge when he filed the nomination papers.
Have entered polls to strengthen party: Kharge
“Many senior leaders of the party have supported my nomination for Congress president post. Many leaders of the party told me that I should contest the elections,” Kharge said, adding that he has entered the polls not to oppose anyone but to strengthen the party.
“There is unemployment, inflation is rising, the gap between the rich and the poor is widening, and all promises of the BJP remain unfulfilled,” Kharge said at a press conference flanked by Deepender Hooda, Syed Naseer Hussain and Gourav Vallabh.
In line with the party’s ‘one-man, one-post’ rule, Vallabh said he along with Hooda and Hussain have resigned as Congress spokespersons and will campaign for Kharge in the AICC president polls.
‘Decision for reform will be taken jointly’
Asked about Tharoor’s remarks that he is a “candidate for change” while Kharge is a “candidate of continuity” and status quo, Kharge said any decision for reform will be taken jointly and not by one person. He also rejected suggestions that the Gandhi family was backing him, saying he was urged by other leaders to contest.
“The status quo and change that Tharoor has been talking about will be decided by the delegates and the All India Congress Committee. One person will not be taking the calls, it will be taken collectively,” he added.
No ideological difference with Kharge: Tharoor
Tharoor on his part said there are no ideological differences between Kharge and him.
“Rather, it is a question of how we propose to go about achieving the objectives we already agree upon … Leaders like him (Kharge) cannot bring change and will continue the existing system. I will bring change as per expectations of party workers,” he said.
Tharoor drew an analogy between the Gandhi family and the DNA of the party and said that no party chief can distance himself from the Gandhis, asserting that he is contesting the elections to bring a ” change” in the grand old party.
He stressed that the contest between him and Kharge is “not a battle” and it should be left upon the Congress workers to choose between the duo.
Congress president polling, if needed, will be held on October 17. The results will be declared on October 19.
(With inputs from agencies)