Most PCC chiefs backing Kharge, says Tharoor

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the Congress Presidential elections, Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor fired one other salvo at his opponents alleging that he’s dealing with ‘differential treatment’ from among the state chiefs throughout his campaigning.

The AICC presidential election, which is happening after a protracted hole of over 20 years, is scheduled for October 17. Tharoor, who’s within the capital to hunt votes from Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC), additionally reiterated his declare of an ‘uneven playing field’ within the celebration’s inner elections.

The Thiruvananthapuram MP, who’s pitted towards senior chief Mallikarjun Kharge, lamented that a number of PCC chiefs and senior leaders weren’t accessible throughout his visits to these states. “Some PCC chiefs even had meetings in Kharge’s favour and it disturbed the level playing field,” he mentioned.

ALSO READ | Will revive CWC elections, parliamentary board if I’m Congress president: Tharoor

Recently, Tharoor brazenly spoke about how senior leaders had been conspicuously lacking throughout his campaigning in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Many senior leaders in Kerala — the house turf of Tharoor — together with former Union Minister A Ok Antony, KPCC President Ok Sudhakaran, and former Opposition chief Ramesh Chennithala have spoken in favour of Kharge. Chennithala has been accompanying Kharge to some states for campaigning too.

Tharoor had additionally raised complaints with the central election authority Madhusudan Mistry relating to ballot code violations citing the endorsement of Kharge by a number of PCC chiefs for the president submit. The CEC, final week, had issued strict tips barring Congress workplace bearers from campaigning in favour of any candidates. 

Tharoor additionally mentioned that he was unable to fulfill many delegates as their contact particulars had been ‘missing’ from the listing. “There were incomplete contact details in the list of delegates that we received. Some lists had names but no contact numbers, some had names but no proper address,” he mentioned.

In an interview with this paper, Tharoor mentioned that the contact particulars of solely 10 per cent out of 9,000 delegates had been accessible to him.

However, he mentioned that he didn’t blame anybody because the election is being held after 22 years. Responding to Tharoor’s remarks, Kharge reiterated that there was no distinction between them.

ALSO READ | Amid Congress president ballot, Shashi Tharoor’s identify proposed for House panel

“We are brothers. Someone can speak in a different manner, I can do it in a different way,” he mentioned.

Meanwhile, one other chief, who was part of ginger group known as G-23, and supported Kharge’s candidature, advised this paper that Tharoor was making an attempt to consolidate his political capital by this marketing campaign. The chief additionally claimed that as a substitute of contacting voters, Tharoor has been holding public conferences and occasions to additional his recognition.

Tharoor was a part of the G-23 group, which sought deep reforms within the celebration. Most of Tharoor’s colleagues within the group, together with Anand Sharma, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Prithviraj Chavan, and Manish Tewari have endorsed Kharge’s candidature.

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the Congress Presidential elections, Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor fired one other salvo at his opponents alleging that he’s dealing with ‘differential treatment’ from among the state chiefs throughout his campaigning.

The AICC presidential election, which is happening after a protracted hole of over 20 years, is scheduled for October 17. Tharoor, who’s within the capital to hunt votes from Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC), additionally reiterated his declare of an ‘uneven playing field’ within the celebration’s inner elections.

The Thiruvananthapuram MP, who’s pitted towards senior chief Mallikarjun Kharge, lamented that a number of PCC chiefs and senior leaders weren’t accessible throughout his visits to these states. “Some PCC chiefs even had meetings in Kharge’s favour and it disturbed the level playing field,” he mentioned.

ALSO READ | Will revive CWC elections, parliamentary board if I’m Congress president: Tharoor

Recently, Tharoor brazenly spoke about how senior leaders had been conspicuously lacking throughout his campaigning in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Many senior leaders in Kerala — the house turf of Tharoor — together with former Union Minister A Ok Antony, KPCC President Ok Sudhakaran, and former Opposition chief Ramesh Chennithala have spoken in favour of Kharge. Chennithala has been accompanying Kharge to some states for campaigning too.

Tharoor had additionally raised complaints with the central election authority Madhusudan Mistry relating to ballot code violations citing the endorsement of Kharge by a number of PCC chiefs for the president submit. The CEC, final week, had issued strict tips barring Congress workplace bearers from campaigning in favour of any candidates. 

Tharoor additionally mentioned that he was unable to fulfill many delegates as their contact particulars had been ‘missing’ from the listing. “There were incomplete contact details in the list of delegates that we received. Some lists had names but no contact numbers, some had names but no proper address,” he mentioned.

In an interview with this paper, Tharoor mentioned that the contact particulars of solely 10 per cent out of 9,000 delegates had been accessible to him.

However, he mentioned that he didn’t blame anybody because the election is being held after 22 years. Responding to Tharoor’s remarks, Kharge reiterated that there was no distinction between them.

ALSO READ | Amid Congress president ballot, Shashi Tharoor’s identify proposed for House panel

“We are brothers. Someone can speak in a different manner, I can do it in a different way,” he mentioned.

Meanwhile, one other chief, who was part of ginger group known as G-23, and supported Kharge’s candidature, advised this paper that Tharoor was making an attempt to consolidate his political capital by this marketing campaign. The chief additionally claimed that as a substitute of contacting voters, Tharoor has been holding public conferences and occasions to additional his recognition.

Tharoor was a part of the G-23 group, which sought deep reforms within the celebration. Most of Tharoor’s colleagues within the group, together with Anand Sharma, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Prithviraj Chavan, and Manish Tewari have endorsed Kharge’s candidature.