Gandhi family blessing me and Mallikarjun Kharge: Shashi Tharoor

Speaking to the media after meeting party functionaries at Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee office, Shashi Tharoor said, “Gandhi family is blessing me and Kharge ji. Because we are fighting elections to strengthen the party.” Strengthen Congress before 2024 elections. “My interactions with the Gandhi family have assured me that they have no prejudice against me or Kharge,” he said.

“Congress has run the country well, we have experienced people (in the party)… We need to show our strength to win the voters again. The party needs to be attractive for it, to have confidence. There is a need so that voters can give us their confidence,” Tharoor said.

Suggesting the BJP to start preparing to be part of the opposition, the Congress Presidential candidate said, “BJP should start preparing to be part of the opposition as they will have to sit there after the 2024 elections.”

He further said that he wants to strengthen the Congress for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

“My aim is to make Congress party strong for 2024 because our citizens are unhappy with the Modi government. People want the opposition to be strong, because inflation is high as well as unemployment and hate speech. In 2014 and 2019 we only got 19 per cent vote, I want people to come to us who did not vote for us. I want people to see us.’

He further said that he and Mallikarjun Kharge are friends and the only difference between them is the way they work.

Clarifying rumors that Kharge is an official candidate for party chief and he is not, Tharoor said, “Some people are saying that Kharge is an official candidate and I am nobody. But I want to say that Gandhi family is neutral and no one is official candidate as we stand to strengthen Congress party.If someone is saying that representatives are asked to vote then they are a certain person but it is not true. “

Shashi Tharoor and Mallikarjun Kharge are face to face in the race for the post of Congress President.

Voting for the Congress Presidential election is to be held on October 17 and the padyatra will take a day’s break for voting.

The last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 8. Voting will be held on October 17 and the election results will be declared on October 19.

“Our party needs change and I think I am the one who will be the catalyst of change,” Tharoor said. He said that the Congress has run the country well and has experienced the people in the party.

“We need to win the trust of voters,” he said during a delegate outreach program at the state headquarters of the Congress in Mumbai.

Congress state unit president Nana Patole was not present in the meeting.

When asked about Patole’s absence, Tharoor said, “I spoke to Patole ji and he told me about my prior commitment. I am not complaining at all.”

Members of the All India Professional Congress greeted Tharoor at Tilak Bhawan. Former Lok Sabha MP Priya Dutt and former Rajya Sabha MP Bhalchandra Mungekar were also present.

Tharoor visited Chaityabhoomi, BR Ambedkar’s cremation ground, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Memorial and Siddhivinayak Temple at Shivaji Park, before reaching Tilak Bhawan, the state Congress headquarters.

Tharoor later also issued a video appeal on Twitter to the over 9,000 state Congress representatives who would vote in the organizational election.

In his video appeal, he said, “In the Indian National Congress we are facing a big challenge. The challenge to revive our party and make it fit with the aim of fighting the formidable BJP in the 2024 elections.”

“The challenge becomes all the more important from the fact that our party is giving the country an example of internal party democracy which no other party has been able to do,” Tharoor said.

“When are we going to do it if not now”, urging delegates to vote for him on 17 October.

*With inputs from agencies