India: Tharoor concedes defeat, Kharge set to be Congress party president

New Delhi

Senior Congress leader and a candidate for the party president post, Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday conceded defeat to rival Mallikarjuan Kharge. Tharoor admitting defeat comes hours after his faction alleged that voting had been rigged in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and demanded the 'vote count' be removed from the final result. 

Taking to Twitter, Tharoor posted a congratulatory message to Kharge and thanked colleagues for their support. 

"It is a great honour & a huge responsibility to be President of @INCIndia & I wish @Kharge ji all success in that task. It was a privilege to have received the support of over a thousand colleagues, & to carry the hopes & aspirations of so many well-wishers of Congress across India," tweeted Tharoor. 

"On 17th October, in a true celebration of inner-party democracy, over 9500 delegates of the Indian National Congress cast their vote in the elections for the post of party president. Today, the final verdict has been in favour of Shri Mallikarjun Kharge Ji. I would like to convey my warm congratulations to him for his victory. The decision of the party delegates is final and I accept it humbly. It is a privilege to be a member of a party that allows its workers to choose their President," read the statement released by Tharoor.

The Thiruvananthapuram MP also thanked the Gandhi family, especially former President Rahul Gandhi as well as her sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for their support. 

"My thanks also to former President Shri Rahul Gandhi and Smt Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for doing their own bit to support free and neutral elections. The Nehru-Gandhi family has held, and will always hold, a special place in the hearts of Congress party members - and with good reason too. It is my hope and belief that the family will remain the foundational pillar of the Congress, our moral conscience and ultimate guiding spirit."

Rahul Gandhi, currently on his Bharat Jodo Yatra, in a statement said that he could not comment on the role of the newly elected president. 

"I can't comment on Congress president's role, that's for Mr Kharge to comment on. The President will decide what my role is," said the former Congress president. 

According to reports, it was a landslide win for Kharge who received over 90 per cent of the votes cast. The senior Congress leader polled 7,897 votes while Tharoor trailed miles behind at 1,072.

This was the first Congress presidential election to be held in more than 20 years. Earlier, the chair rotated between the Gandhi family members with the mother-son duo of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi occupying the position since 1998.

However, political experts are casting aspersions over the authenticity of the result as Kharge was projected as the 'Gandhi-approved' candidate and not many in the party dare go beyond the line issued by the top family. 

(With inputs from agencies)

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