The party’s central election authority has now changed the requirement for a vote from writing “1” against the preferred candidate’s name to a ‘tick’ mark. “A ‘tick’ mark is needed next to my name”, said Tharoor via tweet to the PCC delegates on Sunday, October 16.
A tick would be accepted in front of the name of the favoured candidate instead of ‘1’
It’s Kharge vs Tharoor today
Shashi Tharoor’s team had earlier taken up with the party’s central election authority chairman on the issue of a directive asking PCC delegates to mark “1” in front of the name of their desired candidate on the ballot paper.
Issue with the Mark ‘1’
The Ballot paper has Mallikarjun Kharge on the serial number ‘1’, while Tharoor on ‘2’. This ballot paper has to be folded to put it into the ballot box.
Tharoor’s team raised the matter with Mistry, that this could be a ‘disadvantage’ for Tharoor as Kharge is on serial number 1 and Tharoor on serial number 2 on the ballot paper. Hence, writing ‘1’ in front of the name of the preferred candidate could confuse voters.
After Tharoor’s team pointed out this issue, it was informed to the Madhusudan Mistry, central election authority chairman of the Congress. Thereafter, it was conveyed that from now on a tick would be accepted ahead of the name of the favoured candidate instead of ‘1’.
Mistry said in a statement on Sunday,”The Ballot Paper will have the names of two candidates (Shashi Tharoor and Mallikarjun Kharge) on it. Voters are instructed to put a ‘tick’ in the box in front of the candidate whom they wish to vote for.
‘Mallikarjun Kharge or Shashi Tharoor’, Congress to elect its next chief on Monday
After 22 years, the Congress is all set to witness a contest for the president post on Monday, October 17 with Tharoor and Kharge standing against each other. They will superintend the party with new spirit so as to fulfil the goal of defeating the BJP in 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
“The Congress presidential polls will be held between 10am and 4pm today, delegates from all states will vote at their respective polling stations for the candidate they favour with a ‘tick’ mark. Arrangements have been made for smooth polling,” news agency ANI quoted Mistry as saying. Over 9,000 Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates form the electoral college to pick the Congress party chief in a secret ballot.
Polling will be held at the AICC headquarters in Delhi and at over 65 polling booths across the country. This will be the sixth time in its nearly 137-year-old history that an electoral contest would decide who would take up the mantle of the party’s president.
“There’s no problem with our ideology but I want to bring a change in our way of work”
Shashi Tharoor on Sunday, said that he would work in cooperation with his opponent, Mallikarjun Kharge.
While, the Thiruvananthapuram MP said that while he wants to bring about a change in the Congress’s way of work, there is no difference between his and Kharge’s ideologies.
He said, “There’s no problem with our ideology but I want to bring a change in the way of our work”, Mallikarjun Kharge is an experienced leader and if he wins, they’ll work in cooperation naturally, Tharoor was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Election is a perfect opportunity to sort out the issues faced by the party
He, further said, that this election is a perfect opportunity to sort out the issues faced by the party over the last few years. “A very famous and experienced leader left us recently, so I felt that something is not right and I believe that workers need to be listened to, this poll is a perfect opportunity, ” Tharoor said.
Kharge is considered the firm favourite for his closeness with the Gandhis and backing by senior leaders, while Tharoor has raised himself as the candidate of change.
The grand old party will elect a non-Gandhi president for the first time in 24 years today. Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi, former PM Manmohan Singh and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will also cast their vote at the AICC headquarters in Delhi.
During the campaign, even though Tharoor has raised issues of uneven playing field, both candidates and the party have maintained that there’s no “official candidate” and that the Gandhis are neutral.
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