Oily, Deep-fried bread fritters And tea is a staple for journalists at Congress Headquarters for any major event; A ‘treat’ offered by the media department of the Grand Old Party. And that’s many such cups of tea and dumplings Who has been a witness to the changes and ups and downs in the Congress.
Friday was no different. The election for the post of party president was being held after a good 20 years and the party felt that history was being made. However, in the process, several changes were detected in the power equations.
Firstly, the manner in which both the nominations were filed. Shashi Tharoor was very handsome in himself; Unusually, he arrived with a band, a ‘baaja’ and a short ‘baraat’. There was no one in the high command to welcome him and no senior leader greeted him. Among the recognizable faces who supported him were Karti Chidambaram, Salman Soz and Sandeep Dixit. Tharoor went straight to the nomination room. As soon as he came out, only media persons came to him. Soon, Tharoor got into his car and left to address a press conference and issue a manifesto.
When his manifesto sparked controversy about a map showing Jammu and Kashmir inappropriately, the Congress distanced itself saying it was up to Tharoor and his team to clarify and correct the discrepancy. Some like Kumari Selja told News18.com: “In the fitness of things, Tharoor should back down.” It was an idea that was echoed by many. But what was surprising was that the G-23, a dissident group that pushed for transparency in elections and electoral rolls, removed Tharoor, who was also a signatory of the original G-23 letter. Tharoor’s G-23 colleagues Manish Tewari and Anand Sharma were seen supporting Kharge.
And then, suddenly there was a flurry of activity. big sacks of mosambi After the arrival of leaders like Salman Khurshid, Rajeev Shukla, Kumari Selja and Ashok Gehlot led. The stage was set for Kharge; Clarifying who was the ‘chosen one’. Juice and tea were served to all the waiting leaders and they were told how to support Kharge while filing his nominations. It was clear that the dice were rolled in Kharge’s favor when he came in a car with Digvijay Singh and Deepender Hooda as his co-passengers. Mukul Wasnik and several other leaders were already present at the Congress office to welcome him. Kharge was not accompanied by a band or drums, but then, the veteran leader didn’t really need it.
As the nomination process began, the difference between the two contenders was evident. While most of the Congress leaders did not want to be seen with Tharoor, the leaders filed their nominations with Kharge. It was no surprise then that the list of supporters of Kharge was long, going up to 30. Unlike Tharoor, who had to hold his own press conference, special arrangements were made for Kharge when he addressed the media at the Congress headquarters. He too was taken back to the office unlike Tharoor, who left immediately.
The difference in treatment and response highlights one fact. The story of welcoming everyone to contest elections was a myth. So will this be a fresh take on the Jitendra Prasad story where he was never trusted for “daring” to fight against an official candidate 22 years ago. Then there was Sonia Gandhi, now there is Mallikarjun Kharge. So is Tharoor the new offering?
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