Congress chief Kharge’s resolve to fight against ‘threat to democracy’; Tharoor says the party’s revival has begun. Highlight

Veteran politician Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday defeated Shashi Tharoor by a huge margin in the Congress’s 20th presidential election to become the party’s first non-Gandhi chief in two decades and sixth in the party’s 137-year-old history.

Madhusudan Mistry, chairman of the Congress’s Central Election Authority, announced that Kharge got 7,897 votes and Tharoor 1,072 votes, while 416 votes were declared invalid.

In his first statement after the results, Kharge thanked his party workers, allies, including his election rival Tharoor, and called for a “united fight against fascists”. “We have to fight together for democracy and constitution,” Kharge said.

Kharge will formally take over as the party president on October 26.

Meanwhile, Tharoor, who claimed “irregularities” in the conduct of elections, later reiterated his old position of “batting on uneven ground”, a reference to his earlier concerns about the fairness of elections and said he would never The candidates were not opposition, but for change.

Here are the highlights of today’s Congress President Election Result:

• Addressing a press conference after his victory, Mallikarjun Kharge said, “No one is big or small, everyone has to work together as ‘karyakartas’ to strengthen the Congress… We have to fight together against the fascist forces attacking the Constitution.”
• Kharge said, “Congress has a history of strengthening democracy, today when democracy is in danger and every institution is in danger, Congress has once again set an example of democracy by holding a successful election.”
• Kharge noted the “personal sacrifices” of outgoing Sonia Gandhi and said the outgoing party chief had shed his blood and sweat for the party for two decades. “He revived the party and strengthened it. His tenure will be missed,” he said.
• Kharge conveyed his wish to Tharoor and said: “We were both contenders but everything went smoothly. He came to meet me and we discussed the future of the party. I want to thank him.”
• Tharoor had earlier met Kharge at his residence and congratulated him on his victory. Admitting his defeat, Tharoor congratulated Kharge and said that the “democratic contest” has vibrancy at all levels and has inspired a healthy and constructive discussion on change, which will serve the party well in future. Tharoor also claimed that the revival of the Congress has begun. In a statement, Tharoor said that the Nehru-Gandhi family held a special place in the hearts of members of the Congress party and always will be.
• Party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the newly elected Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will take charge on October 26.
• Shashi Tharoor said that he was “not a candidate for dissent but a candidate for change”. In a press conference, Tharoor said that he wants more participation of Congress workers and said that the party is not an organization of dissidents but to make the party better. Organization of change. “I was not a candidate for dissent. I was a candidate for change. I want greater participation of Congress workers. Change does not happen in policy or ideology but at the operational level.”
• The senior MP said the party members decided between Kharge’s continuity and his push for change. Ahead of the elections, Tharoor had released an election manifesto outlining his priorities, while Kharge said his only agenda was to implement the Udaipur Declaration of the Congress.
• In a reference to his earlier tweet by Congress Central Election Authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry flagging “extremely serious irregularities” in the conduct of elections in Uttar Pradesh, Tharoor said such “mistakes had to happen” in our party. Didn’t hold the election.” 22 years. Mistakes were bound to happen in such an election. Overall the leadership stayed with Mr Kharge, it is not surprising that you have chosen between change and continuity and if you are part of the continuity why do you want change?
• Reiterating his earlier statement on uneven grounds for the polls, he said, “I batted on an uneven pitch” and was “only cautious” about “ball tampering”, in reference to an earlier statement on irregularities.
• In a cryptic tweet quoting a poem by the 13th-century Persian poet Rumi, Tharoor wrote, “If you are bothered by every rub, how will your mirror be polished?”
• According to experts, Kharge’s victory was almost certain as he was considered a ‘family-approved’ candidate because of his close ties to the Gandhi family.
• Outgoing Congress President Sonia Gandhi soon reached Kharge’s residence here and congratulated him. He was accompanied by Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi Congratulations to the newly elected President of Congress Mallikarjun Kharge. “My best wishes to Shri Mallikarjun Kharge ji on his new responsibility as the President of @INCIndia. May his further tenure be fruitful,” he said in a tweet.
• senior leader Rahul Gandhi said that Kharge represents a “democratic vision” of India. “The Congress President represents the democratic vision of India. His vast experience and ideological commitment will serve the party well as he assumes this historic responsibility,” he said on Twitter.
• Priyank Kharge said that his father Mallikarjun Kharge will strengthen the organization after consulting everyone and give preference to party workers. “We have to build the party at the grassroots level, encourage our cadre and work beyond our capabilities to ensure governments in different states. The challenges are very clear and their directions very clear. The party formation process will be consultative and the workers will get preference.
• Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh hailed the sweeping victory of newly-elected AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge in the party president elections and said he is “a shining symbol of social empowerment inspired by Nehru, Ambedkar, Indira Gandhi and Devraj Urs”.
• Former party chief contender and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said it was a proud moment that Mallikarjun Kharge became the Congress president, adding that he is an experienced leader. “Under his leadership the Congress will be strong and our party is united across the country,” he said.
• Other party leaders, including Chief Minister Gehlot, his former deputy Sachin Pilot and Congress chief whip in the Rajasthan Assembly Mahesh Joshi, met separately in Delhi to congratulate him after the victory. Congress Rajya Sabha members Neeraj Dangi and Mukul Wasnik were also present. Pilot expressed confidence that the party workers would get a new direction under Kharge’s leadership and guidance.
• Apart from demanding that all votes in Uttar Pradesh be nullified, Tharoor’s campaign team had raised “serious issues” in the conduct of elections in Punjab and Telangana. In his letter to Central Election Authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry, Tharoor’s chief election agent Salman Soz had said the facts are “damaging” and the election process in Uttar Pradesh is “devoid of credibility and integrity”. Soz told Mistry that what has been seen in Uttar Pradesh is an open challenge to the authority of “your office” as well as the contempt of the Congress President and the Congress Working Committee’s orders to conduct free and fair elections. Is.
• After Tharoor flagged the issue of “polling irregularities” in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP mocked the senior party leader, asking whether he expected free and fair elections. BJP IT department head Amit Malviya also claimed that the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram would be ridiculed and embarrassed for taking on the Gandhi family.
• A leader with over 50 years of experience in politics, Kharge is the second AICC president of Karnataka after S Nijalingappa and the second Dalit leader after Jagjivan Ram to hold the position.

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