Congress Prez Poll: Politicians Under Pressure to Vote for Other Candidate, Shashi Tharoor Claims

The election for the top post in India’s main opposition party Congress is scheduled to be held on October 17. Senior parliamentarian Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor are contesting against each other for the post. The results of the election will be announced on October 19.

Congress Parliamentarian Shashi Tharoor, one of the two candidates contesting in the election for the party’s president post, claimed that some party politicians are being pressured to vote for his rival Mallikarjun Kharge.

He even said that polls for the party’s top post might not have a level-playing field.

During an event organized by an Indian news television channel, Tharoor said: “There are reports of an “uneven playing field” in the Congress presidential elections, and some party leaders are being forced to back Mallikarjun Kharge.”

He even said that on the one hand, his rival candidate Kharge is being welcomed and accompanied by senior Congress politicians, while he is accompanied by ordinary party workers.

Tharoor's statements came amid reports that the Gandhi family has decided to remain neutral in the election and is not backing any individual candidate.

Despite claims by Gandhi family of remaining neutral, several media reports have suggested that Kharge is the preferred candidate for them.

This will be for the first time in over 20 years that India's main opposition party will have a non-Gandhi president.

Sonia Gandhi took charge as party chief in 1998. However, Rahul Gandhi became the party president in 2017, but quit in 2019, taking the responsibility for the dismal performance in the parliamentary polls held the same year.

Since then, Sonia Gandhi has been serving as party chief.