Days ahead of polling Tharoor visits UP, gets Cold response; Khadge way ahead claim UP leaders

Ahead of polling for post of congress national president, Shashi Tharoor reached Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh to seek votes from delegates. Tharoor reportedly got a cold response as only a few office-bearers of the All India Professional Congress (AIPC); which he heads, were present in the meeting.

Soon after Tharoor’s conference, congress working committee member and Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari claimed that Khadge would get 98 per cent votes. However, he said that this is a friendly fight between two big leaders.

Promising full powers to the presidents of state units if elected, Tharoor said that congressmen are ready for a change. He said that there were no elections for the post of national president of congress for the last 22 years and since Rahul Gandhi declined to take up the job, he decided to contest these elections.

Tharoor said that many big names have left the party in the recent past and that is why it is necessary to strengthen the party. Former union minister, who is pitted against Gandhi family loyalist Mallikarjun Khadge, said that a strong party president is must for the bright future of congress. 'I first met with Sonia Gandhi and apprised her of my decision to contest,’ he said.

While talking to the media in Lucknow, Tharoor said he is not opposed to Khadge, as the latter is a great senior leader of congress but the contest is about the ideas. Tharoor said that decentralisation of powers would be his agenda if he becomes the national president of congress. Tharoor said whether he wins or Khadge it would be the victory of congress.

Polling for the congress president would be held at UP Congress headquarters on Monday, where 1,247 PCC members of state are likely to vote. The AICC members from UP such as Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi might vote in Delhi while Rahul Gandhi and a few others who are in Bharat Yatra would cast their votes in the state from where they are passing through.