BackShashi Tharoor open to public debate between Congress prez polls' candidates
Shashi Tharoor said that the Nehru-Gandhi family has held and will always hold a special place in the hearts of Congress party members.
PremiumLok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said that he would be open to the idea of a public debate between the Congress President polls' candidates as it would evoke people's interest in the party in a manner similar to the recent British Conservative Party leadership race, according to the news agency PTI.
He also stated that the Nehru-Gandhi family has held and will always hold a special place in the hearts of Congress party members.
"The answer to the Congress' current challenges lies in a combination of effective leadership and organizational reforms," Tharoor told PTI in an exclusive interview.
Mallikarjun Kharge and Tharoor are in the fray in the Congress presidential poll after former Jharkhand minister K N Tripathi's nomination was rejected on Saturday.
Speaking about what he brings to the table, Tharoor said that he has proven a credible track record in leading at the highest levels of organizations, whether it has been at the UN or as the founder-chairman of the All-India Professionals' Congress.
The former Union Minister said that he has outlined a set of priorities that he believes can help strengthen the Congress and take on the machinery of the BJP.
"Since our current situation is widely deplored, it may be an advantage not to be burdened by the baggage of having spent too much time in the present party organization and be able to approach it from a fresh perspective," Tharoor told PTI.
When asked about his opinion on public debate between the party's presidential candidates, Tharoor said that he would be open to the idea. "There are no ideological differences among us; rather, it is a question of how we propose to go about achieving the objectives we already agree upon," he said.
"As I have often pointed out, an exchange of ideas among candidates could have beneficial effects for the party -- for instance, we have seen the global interest in the British Conservative Party during their recent leadership race, a phenomenon we already witnessed in 2019, when a dozen candidates contested to replace Theresa May and Boris Johnson emerged on top," Tharoor said.
The date for scrutiny of the nomination papers was on October 1, while the last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 8. The final list of candidates will be published at 5 pm on October 8.
The polling, if needed, will be held on October 17. The counting of votes will be taken up on October 19 and the results will be declared the same day. More than 9,000 Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates will vote in the poll.
(With PTI inputs)
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