Polling for electing a new and non-Gandhi Congress president is underway on Monday, with veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge and Thriuvananthpuram MP Shashi Tharoor in fray.
The voting started around 10 am, and will end at 4 pm. Polling is underway at the Congress headquarters, and at state Congress headquarters across the country.
A special polling booth has been created in a container at the site of Bharat Jodo Yatra in Sanganakallu. A photograph of the polling booth was shared by Congress’ General Secretary Communication Jairam Ramesh.
Kharge cast his vote at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee headquarter in Bengaluru. While Kharge is said to be the choice of the Gandhi family, both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have said that they are not backing any candidate.
Tharoor at a recent press conference said there were systematic flaws in the Congress presidential election process, even as he clarified he was not suggesting it was intentional.
On the eve of the election, he said he is batting on a track with an “uneven bounce” and doesn’t want “pitch tampering”.
On Sunday, Kharge joined the Bharat Jodo Yatra which is in Karnataka presently.
Counting for the presidential poll will be held on October 19 and results will be declared.
