Tharoor vs Kharge: how the next Congress president will be elected

India's grand old Congress is all set for the elections of the party president. But how does one of the oldest political parties in the world elect its president.

Primarily it is done through secret ballot box, but let's explain.

Once the highest body of the political group, which is the Congress Working Committee, sets the date for the election, any ten members of the party may jointly propose any candidate's name for the top post.

To file nominations, the candidate must have approval from at least 10 members of Pradesh Congress Committee or PCC.

Before we get ahead, let's first understand what is PCC. Simply put it is Congress' state-level panel and has a member representing each government block of the state. Further simplified if a Congress leader wants to fight elections, 10 block leaders of the party must back the candidate.

Like India has an election commission whose role is to ensure free and fair polls, the Congress too has an internal panel to oversee the elections. The chief of the Congress' election panel is also the returning officer who oversees the election to the post of president.

Once candidates files nomination, the Congress returning officer sends the list of candidates to each state unit or PCC. Like other elections, the officer waits for 7 days in case any member wants to withdraw their name from the nomination list.

Those who don't remove their names from the list remain in the contest with their names on the ballot box.

The process is simple if just one candidate remains in the fray after the withdrawal process. The candidate becomes the Congress president. And if two candidates remain in the fray Congress delegates vote to pick up a candidate. But if there are over two candidates in the fray the PCC delegates show their preference for at least 2 candidates from which a winner is picked.

The presidential elections are held in PCC headquarters of each state, on the principle of single transferable vote and the highest number of votes is declared as the president of the Congress.