Presidential election: 5 critical incidents that changed Congress
A look at five crucial events from the race for the top of the grand old party as the Congress president election nears its conclusion.After almost 25 years, the Congress is prepared to elect a non-Gandhi as the party’s leader on Wednesday.
Senior Congressman Mallikarjun Kharge is anticipated to defeat Shashi Tharoor in the historic election held on Monday. The governor of Karnataka appears ready to succeed Sonia Gandhi, who is now serving in an acting capacity.
The party will have a president who has been elected for the first time in more than 20 years. Sonia Gandhi defeated Jitendra Prasada in the most recent election for the party’s top position in 2000, winning the position of Congress president.
Let’s look at five crucial occasions from this election for the leader of the grand old party as the Congress president race nears its conclusion.
Ashok Gehlot decides not to run for president of Congress
Ashok Gehlot, the chief minister of Rajasthan, had been expected to win the election. On August 22, he formally declared his intention to run for president of the Congress, stating that he did so since “nobody from the Gandhi family was contesting.”
But on September 29, amid unrest in his home state, he said that he will not run for Congress president following a meeting with Sonia Gandhi. Prior to this, Gehlot reportedly had the Gandhis’ support and emerged as the front-runner for the top position.
He had originally intended to continue serving as Rajasthan’s chief minister while still holding the party’s top position, but he was forced to abandon the plan after Rahul Gandhi said the party will operate under its “one man” rule.
A political crisis in Rajasthan
After announcing his candidacy, Ashok Gehlot stated that Sonia Gandhi and Ajay Maken, the Congress’s state director for Rajasthan, would decide who would succeed him as chief minister, potentially opening the door for Sachin Pilot, his former deputy, to be promoted.
With nearly 90 MLAs allied to the Gehlot camp submitting their resignations to Assembly Speaker CP Joshi as a result, this, however, sparked a mutiny in Rajasthan.
These lawmakers were incensed that the central leadership chose someone who had broken with the party in 2020 and disregarded the concerns of those who had steadfastly supported the party at that time.
Gehlot and his supporters’ uprising angered the Congress high leadership, who reportedly sought an explanation.
from the chief minister of Rajasthan. Speaking to media in the nation’s capital after a meeting with Gandhi, Gehlot apologised to Sonia Gandhi and stated that his resignation from the Congress presidential election was motivated by moral responsibility for the MLAs’ decision to boycott the meeting in Jaipur on September 30.
He further stated that Sonia Gandhi will determine if he would remain chief minister.
Digvijay Singh joins the battle.
Digvijaya Singh, a prominent leader, gathered the nomination forms for the party president election on September 29 and declared that he would file them if Gehlot withdrew.
Digvijaya Singh met with his coworkers KC Venugopal and Mallikarjun Kharge before submitting his nomination for the Congress presidential election. A short time after this conversation with Kharge, Singh declared that he would not run for office and would recommend Kharge instead.
My senior and my leader is Kharge ji. I had questioned him about contesting yesterday. He rejected it. He and I reconnected today. I assured him that if he was contesting, I was completely behind him.
I have no idea how I would compete against him. He’s organising hisnomination and I will be his proposer,” Singh said.
Mallikarjun Kharge submits his candidacy Senior Congressman from Karnataka and leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge submitted his nomination on September 30 at the AICC headquarters in Delhi for the position of party president, challenging Kerala MP Shashi Tharoor.
Digvijaya Singh withdrew from the race Unexpectedly, Kharge, a supporter of the Gandhi family, became the high command’s top option. Several party leaders, including Ashok Gehlot, Digvijaya Singh, Pramod Tiwari, PL Punia, AK Antony, Pawan Kumar Bansal, and Mukul Wasnik, suggested he run for office.
Anand Sharma and Manish Tewari, two G23 leaders, also suggested Kharge for the position. Kharge also participated in Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra for the first time on Saturday at Ballari, two days before the election.
on its 38th day and walked more than two kilometres.Candidature is made by Shashi Tharoor
On September 30, Kerala state representative and Congress politician Shashi Tharoor also submitted his paperwork to Madhusudan Mistry, head of the party’s central election authority.
His opponent in the election, Kharge, who seemed to be the front-runner, was referred to by him as a candidate of continuity and status quo. He urged those seeking change to support him.
Though the Gandhi family has consistently assured Tharoor that they are not directly or indirectly supporting anyone, Tharoor acknowledged that he is aware of his reputation as the underdog and that there has been talk of a “official candidate” in some circles.
After submitting his nomination papers, Tharoor told a press conference, “It is going to be a friendly contest. We don’t have any rivals or adversaries.
I mean no offence to him, but I will speak for my opinions. While campaigning, however, there have been a number of controversies. Tharoor has repeatedly claimed that the system is biassed in favour of Kharge because senior leaders have made appeals on his behalf and state chiefs have shunned him when he makes campaign appearances.
Without naming them, Tharoor further charged “certain leaders” with engaging in “netagiri” by calling PCC delegates and asserting that Kharge was the Gandhi family’s choice, despite Sonia Gandhi having stated that the family was neutral.
In compared to Kharge, Tharoor claimed he experienced “difference in treatment,” “bias,” and an unequal playing field during the election campaign.
The sixth Congress presidential election after Independence attracted more over 9,000 voters. Rahul and Sonia Gandhi won their elections with no opposition.
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