After a run-up full of hype, Shashi Tharoor and Mallikarjun Kharge are facing-off today to be elected the next president of the Indian National Congress party. More than 9,000 Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates will be casting their votes at over 65 booths set up across the country.
On 16 October 2022, the party's election chief Madhusudan Mistry issued instructions for voting. He said that voters must put a tick mark in front of either Tharoor or Kharge's name, and any other symbol would make the vote invalid. Voting will take place between 10 am and 4 pm, and votes will be counted on 19 October 2022.
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A day before the voting, Shashi Tharoor criticised some senior leaders who are supporting Kharge. Tharoor said that some leaders were doing "netagiri" and telling party workers that they knew whom Sonia Gandhi wants elected. He also said that he would work with Kharge if the latter wins. Tharoor has projected himself as an agent of "change" in the party's functioning.
Meanwhile, Kharge said that he would have no shame in taking the advice and support of the Gandhi family in running party affairs. Kharge is being seen as the Gandhis' favourite, and the front-runner in the race. Officially, the Gandhis have maintained neutrality in the election.
This is the first time in over 24 years that the Congress will have a non-Gandhi president. Also, this is only the sixth time that an electoral contest in taking place in the party's 137-year history.