Bhopal: CEC should check election code violation, says Tharoor

Bhopal(Madhya Pradesh): The AICC presidential candidate Shashi Tharoor who lamented ‘uneven playing field’ in the organisational elections a couple of days back said here on Friday the party’s central election committee should look into it if there was a violation of election code of conduct.

Tharoor said, “It is a work of the Central Election Committee (CEC) of the party to ensure compliance of election code of conduct in the party. If some people are violating the code the CEC is free to take action in this regard.”

Tharoor was here to garner support from PCC delegates in the elections. Like certain other states, he was here also welcomed by a handful of PCC delegates whereas during his rival candidate Mallikarjun Kharge’s visit to the PCC headquarters there was a huge crowd of Congress leaders including PCC delegates on Wednesday. Out of 9000 delegates of the party, 502 from MP are expected to cast their votes in the polls on Monday.Poll results will be declared on October 19.However, talking to media persons Tharoor dubbed the election contest a ‘Congress family’s internal matter’ and appreciated the candidature of his rival candidate Mallikarjun Kharge. But he expressed his displeasure, that some of the leaders of the party were overtly supporting Kharge, but not him.

He said, “Here in Madhya Pradesh I am very happy and feel honoured that the PCC president Kamal Nath, leader of opposition in state legislative assembly Govind Singh and other leaders have met me and also supported me. But there are few places where I did not get such a positive response”. He was accompanied by party MLA Lakshman Singh, younger brother of Rajya Sabha MP and senior leader Digvijaya Singh. He also shared with the media that this election had taught him “who stands by me and who doesn't stand (Apne paraye ki pehchan ho gayi)”.He said he wanted the Congress party to stand tall and high after this presidential election. This would prove that the party believed in democracy within the party and in the country.

“Time has come to take a stand against RSS. We believe in inclusive India whereas they have a different approach to a Hindu Nation. We also say proudly that we are Hindus but we believe in taking along everyone in the country”, he stated.

He said the Congress party should go in alliance with the other like minded parties to defeat the BJP in the upcoming elections at state level as well as the Centre.  

Queried on speculations that he may start taking unilateral decisions if he is elected as Congress president, something former chief Sitaram Kesri, who held the top post between 1996 and 1998, was accused of by a section of the party, Tharoor said he would take everyone along.

"No Congress president can keep the Gandhi Parivar aloof," Tharoor emphasised.