Wanted consensus on nominee, but Shashi Tharoor refused, says Mallikarjun Kharge

Tribune News Service

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, October 2

Veteran Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, nominee for the election of the Congress president, on Sunday said he favoured consensus for the top party post and had advised challenger Shashi Tharoor accordingly, but the latter said a contest was necessary in a democracy.

Open to debate

I am open to the idea of a public debate between the candidates as it would evoke people’s interest in the party, similar to the recent British Conservative Party leadership race. Shashi Tharoor

Won’t get into that

Many educated people may want a debate. I don’t want to get into that. I only want to work and seek an opportunity to work. Mallikarjun Kharge

Speaking for the first time after filing his nomination for the October 17 election, Kharge (80) sought to dispel the perception that he was an “establishment man” who would only toe the line dictated by the Gandhi family while acknowledging that he would consult the Gandhis.

“Please remove this perception... that I have the support of this or that leader. I have the support of all leaders. I am everyone’s candidate,” Kharge said.

The veteran leader said he decided to fight only after several leaders urged him to do so as the Gandhis said no. “Many leaders asked me to contest since no one from the Gandhi family was fighting. Anyone who campaigns for me will first resign from his party post,” said the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha who had sent his resignation from the post to party chief Sonia Gandhi after filing his papers.

Kharge attacked the BJP for the narrative that the Gandhis would control him and asked whether or not BJP president JP Nadda had been elected by any delegate. “Does the BJP have internal elections? How were their last eight party chiefs elected? Sonia Gandhi did not want to enter politics, but came on our insistence. We were in power for 10 years. Did she ever become the PM? Did she ever try to make her son the PM? Their sacrifices are immense. What would you say if I want to learn something from them? I will consult them and other seniors and take what is good. That doesn’t mean that I have not learnt anything in 50 years,” said Kharge.

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