Congress president poll: Candidature of KN Tripathi from Jharkhand dismissed
The final battle for the Congress presidential elections will be between Congress veteran Mallikarjun Kharge and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor after the application of former Jharkhand minister KN Tripathi was rejected on Saturday. This was announced by the senior Congress leader Madhusudan Mistry, who is the returning officer for the elections for the party's top post, after scrutinizing the nominations forms of the candidates.
Why does this story matter?
The grand old party will hold the presidential election in October and may get a non-Gandhi leader at its helm. While Ashok Gehlot was considered the "Gandhi family" candidate, the "rebellion" in Jaipur diminished his chances. With him out of the race, the party will witness a two-way contest between Tharoor and Kharge especially when no other candidates remain in the fray
What did the returning officer say?
"Of the 20 forms received, four forms have been rejected due to variations in signatures. The Jharkhand candidate's form has also been rejected due to the repetition of signatures and signatures not matching," said Mistry. He added that Kharge and Tharoor are the sole contenders in the race and that the polling picture would be apparent on October 8, the deadline for withdrawing candidacy.
Tharoor tweets after official announcement
Kharge, if elected, would be out of Karnataka CM race
Kharge — an MP from Gulbarga, Karnataka — is considered a loyalist and close to all three Gandhis — Sonia, Rahul, and Priyanka. Hailing from the Dalit community, he was also seen as a likely face for Karnataka CM as the state is set to go to polls soon. However, it wouldn't be the case anymore if he is elected as the Congress president.
Party polls to reclaim lost electoral, political foothold
The Congress will hold its first election in 22 years for the president post on October 17. The party is frantically attempting to reclaim its lost electoral and political foothold in the nation. Rahul Gandhi resigned from the position in 2019, accepting responsibility for the party's catastrophic defeat in the general elections. Sonia Gandhi has been the grand old party's acting leader ever since.
