Finally the picture is clear. Three Congress leaders filed their nominations for the prestigious election to be held for the Congress President's post on October 17th. And today was the last day to file the nominations. The official candidate of the party supported by the Gandhi family is senior Congress leader Mallikarjuna Kharge. The other candidates Digvijaya Singh and Ashok Gehlot withdrew from the race and extended their support to Kharge. Shashi Tharoor M P who had already declared to contest also filed his nomination. Another leader who has submitted his nomination is former Jharkhand minister K N Thripathi.
Congress President Election 2022 final list of contesting candidates:
1. M Mallikarjuna Kharge (age 80 years)
2. Shashi Tharoor (age 66 years)
3. K N Tripathi
Among the three, a tough fight is expected to take place between senior Congress leader and leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha M P Shashi Tharoor. As the third candidate in the fray is not a national leader, he many not make much impact.
Kharge who hails from Karnataka had served as union minister twice and held many important offices. Even though he is an experienced and powerful leader he was always loyal to the Congress high command. And probably that may be the main reason for senior congress leader A K Anthony to suggest him (even though he is too old to work)!
Shashi Tharoor is probably the most glamorous leader in the Congress party at present out of the Gandhi family. He is an internationally acclaimed personality who has fans throughout. He is an effective orator and writer and a scholar in English language.
There are many people who opine that Shashi Tharoor who has latest ideas and vision can revive the grand old party, which is almost in a dilapidated condition at present, more efficiently than anybody else. He will be a better option to rebuild the UPA also as he has got a special skill to negotiate with the other adamant partners in the front. At the same time there are some who doubt his loyalty to the Congress party. They fear that if he is cornered or proffered an irresistible offer from the BJP he may yield!
The third candidate K N Thripati who hails from Jarkhand had served as a minister of that state. As he is not known throughout the country he may not bag more votes to win!
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