The voting for the post of the Congress president concluded on Monday afternoon.
After weeks of speculation, the contest narrowed down to veteran Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor. Over 9,000 Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates form the electoral college voted on Monday to pick the party chief in a secret ballot. Kharge is believed to be the frontrunner.
Voting began at 10 am at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) Headquarters in Delhi and at the party's polling booths in state offices across India.
As voting in the Congress presidential poll got underway, outgoing party chief Sonia Gandhi said she had been waiting for a long time for this day. She and her daughter and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra came together at the AICC Headquarters and cast their vote.
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When asked by reporters about the poll, Sonia said, "I have been waiting for a long time for this day."
Sonia has been the longest-serving Congress President. With the current election, the Congress party is set to get its first non-Gandhi party president in 24 years. Sonia was elected as the Congress President in 1998. Her son Rahul was the Congress President in 2017-19. In 2019, when Rahul resigned as the party chief after the party's poor performance in the general elections, Sonia again took over as party chief.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also cast his ballot in the poll at the party headquarters where the 68th polling booth for the AICC presidential election was set up. Veteran Congress leader P Chidambaram was the first to cast his vote at the AICC headquarters.
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Kharge is considered the favourite for his perceived proximity to the Gandhis and backing by senior leaders, even as Tharoor has pitched himself as the candidate of change. Outlook earlier reported that while Tharoor has proposed reforms, no such promises have been made by Kharge.
"While Kharge has never overtly pushed for reforms, Tharoor has been vocal about changes in the structure. If the contest between the two is fixed, one can anticipate the direction the party may take after the results," reported Outlook.
The counting of votes will take place on Wednesday and the result would be announced on the same day.
(With PTI inputs)
