Mr Tharoor hints that he may move Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Madhusudan Mistry, who had openly lobbied for Mallikarjun Kharge, against office-bearers of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).
Mr Tharoor hints that he may move Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Madhusudan Mistry, who had openly lobbied for Mallikarjun Kharge, against office-bearers of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).
Gloves seem to come off in the Congress Presidential contest between Shashi Tharoor and Mallikarjun Kharge.
In a flurry of media interactions during his two-day campaigning in Kerala, Mr Tharoor indicated that he may move Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Madhusudan Mistry against Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office-bearers, who Openly pitched for his rival Mallikarjuna. Kharge.
Read also: As campaign started in Kerala, Tharoor hit back at KPCC leaders who supported Kharge
organizational election rules
Mr Tharoor said that as per the organizational election rules, the office-bearers of the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) should remain above the electoral fray or resign and campaign.
“Secret voting and discretionary vote is the mantra of the Congress leadership.” He reiterated that the All India Congress Committee (AICC) had no official candidate. “The leaders who openly take sides in the contest challenge the writ of AICC President Sonia Gandhi.”
Mr Tharoor’s response to KPCC President K. It came a day after Sudhakaran was dumped in her lot with Mr. Kharge. Mr. Sudhakaran had earlier called for a conscience in the event of a contest in line with the AICC’s stated position. However, Mr. Sudhakaran later turned around and bowed to Mr. Kharge.
KPCC veterans supporting Kharge
Congress leader Ramesh Chenithala | photo credit: SPL
Before Mr Tharoor’s election campaign in Kerala, a row of KPCC stalwarts stood in line behind Mr Kharge.
Ramesh Chennithala, who reportedly leads the powerful I-Faction in the 281-member General Assembly, has said that he will vote for Mr. Kharge.
He will also campaign for Mr Kharge in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana PCCs. “Tharoor is a friend. But organizational experience is an important criterion for party leadership,” he said. Other leaders have expressed similar sentiments.
Vacant KPCC Headquarters
When Mr. Tharoor reached there to campaign on Tuesday, senior leaders kept coming and going at the KPCC headquarters at Indira Bhavan.
If the media report was true, Mr. Tharoor said that an influential member of the AICC was campaigning for Mr. Kharge in Kerala.
Mr. Tharoor defended his middle-class background and secular credentials. The strongest opposition to his candidature was from Kerala. Mr Tharoor said that there was no bone of jealousy in his body. He vowed his loyalty to the Congress and denied any question of leaving.