According to Shashi Tharoor, the Congress’ current problems can be solved by combining strong organizational reforms with competent leadership.
New Delhi, 2nd October: Shashi Tharoor, a Lok Sabha member who is expected to compete electorally with Congress veteran Mallikarjun Kharge for the position of Congress chief, said on Sunday that he would be open to the idea of a debate between the candidates because it would spark interest in the party similar to the recent British Conservative Party leadership contest.
According to Shashi Tharoor in an interview with PTI, the Congress’ current problems may be solved by combining strong organizational reforms with competent leadership.
After former Jharkhand minister, K N Tripathi‘s nomination was rejected on Saturday, the only remaining candidates for the Congress presidential nomination were Mr. Kharge and Mr. Tharoor.
“As the under-secretary-general in charge of the UN’s public information department, I managed the communications of the organization’s largest department, which included over 800 staff in 77 offices around the world. I also rationalized its structure, cut its budget, and sharpened its efforts. All of these were contributions I made to the table. I have a demonstrated and credible track record in leading at the highest levels of organizations,” stated Mr. Tharoor.
He claimed that it would be technically and logistically challenging to reach out to all 9,000 or so delegates who are eligible to vote in these elections because there are around two and a half weeks between the deadline for nominations and the date for votes.
“In that sense, a platform where candidates may constructively exchange ideas and visions for the party could potentially facilitate the transmission of these perspectives to a larger number of delegates than we can accommodate,” According to the Thiruvanthapuram MP.
At the same time, he believes that such an interchange of ideas would pique the interest of non-voting groups such as fellow Congress workers, the media, and even the general Indian public.
“The latest leadership contest in the British Conservative Party attracted interest from around the world, a phenomenon we had witnessed in 2019 when Theresa May was replaced by Boris Johnson after 12 contenders ran for the position. As I have frequently noted, an exchange of ideas among candidates could be advantageous for the party. For instance, during the most recent leadership election, the British Conservative Party attracted attention from throughout the world,” added Tharoor.
Replicate a comparable situation, he continued, and it will boost national interest in the Congress party and energize more voters once more.
The deadline for submitting nominations for the election was September 24 through September 30, according to a notification sent out by Congress on Thursday.
The deadline for withdrawing nominations is October 8, while the deadline for scrutinizing the nomination papers was October 1.
The complete list of applicants will be made available to the public on October 8 at 5:00 p.m.
The vote will take hold on October 17 if necessary. The voting will take place on October 19 and the results will be made public on that day.
The Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) will send about 9,000 representatives to the election.
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