As ‘Rahul Gandhi for Congress prez’ chorus grows, a buzz on Shashi Tharoor too

As polls to elect the next Congress president are drawing closer, the chorus has yet again started to grow in favour of Rahul Gandhi, who resigned from the post after the 2019 general election debacle. Amid the “Rahul Gandhi for Congress president” chorus, another buzz has sprouted on Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor.

Even as uncertainty and suspense persisted over whether the Wayanad MP would take control of the party, the “Make Rahul Gandhi AICC president again” chorus is growing louder in the Congress with over half a dozen state units so far seeking his elevation to the top post. After Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat units of the Congress have demanded that Rahul Gandhi be made party chief.

On Monday, 19 September, Congress’ Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir and Mumbai units passed resolutions calling for Rahul Gandhi’s elevation to the post of president.

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Mallikarjun Kharge recently told ANI that Rahul Gandhi should take the reins of the Congress. Mallikarjun Kharge said, “The entire situation has become clear regarding the election of Congress Party President. I have my personal opinion and it is the feeling of all the workers that Rahul Gandhi should take the lead of the Congress party at this time. He should become the president of the Congress party."

Amid the chorus for Rahul Gandhi to take on the post of President of Congress, Shashi Tharoor met interim party chief Sonia Gandhi weeks after he expressed concerns about “transparency and fairness” in the upcoming election, party leaders told HT.

During the meeting, Sonia Gandhi told Shashi Tharoor said that the Congress presidential elections will be “genuine and anyone who wants to fight the polls can stand as a candidate”.

"Mrs Gandhi has made it very clear that genuine elections will be held and anyone who wants to fight the polls can stand for president,” the Congress leader was quoted as saying by HT.

‘NO OFFICIAL PARTY CANDIDATE’

The party leader also added that Sonia Gandhi also said that there will be no official Congress candidate. “She said the elections will be fair and transparent,” the leader said.

Shashi Tharoor is yet to clear the air on his presidential candidature. Shashi Tharoor, however, hasn’t ruled out the possibility of standing for the post of party president. There has been much speculation that he is a likely candidate for the contest.

“I welcome this petition that is being circulated by a group of young @INCIndia members, seeking constructive reforms in the Party. It has gathered over 650 signatures so far. I am happy to endorse it & to go beyond it,” Shashi Tharoor tweeted today.

WHAT DOES SHASHI THAROOR SAY?

In his article in a Malayalam daily on presidential elections, Shashi Tharoor said that people are “free to speculate” whether he would contest for the top post in Congress.

“The point I put forward in the article is that elections are a good thing for the party. A democratic country like ours needs a democratic party. I welcome Congress's decision to conduct polls. People are free to speculate as they like,” Shashi Tharoor said.

Welcoming elections in the party, Shashi Tharoor said Rahul Gandhi's refusal to be appointed as the Congress president was disappointing.

The Congress Presidential election will be held on October 17. The results will be out on October 19.

(With agency inputs)