Voting to elect the Congress president is over. Polling was held in 68 booths nationally. Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi cast their votes at the AICC headquarters in Delhi and at the Rahul Gandhi Bharat Jodo booth. Candidates Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor shared their hope of victory. Counting of votes is on Wednesday
Shashi Tharoor responded that the race is not for personal gain but for the party. Tharoor, who reached the Indira Bhavan and voted, shared his hope of victory. Senior leader AK Antony said let BJP and CPM learn this democratic process. Kodikunnil Suresh criticized the poll daily saying that Shashi Tharoor should have withdrawn from the race.
Tharoor maintained his confidence even on polling day by voting in his own political platform Thiruvananthapuram and sharing his hope of victory. Tharoor also warned that the election will not be easy. Tharoor came to vote after visiting Pazhavangadi Ganpati temple. It is also noteworthy that the first vote was recorded by Thambanoor Ravi, who signed Tharoor’s nomination paper. Leaders and workers of Kerala enthusiastically came to Indira Bhavan to elect a new hero.
Antony asked if anyone else could claim this kind of internal democracy. Polling day by day did not hide the flagging opposition to Tharoor. K. Muralidharan said that vote is for Kharge.
KT Tulasi, who fell down during the Jodo Yatra, came to cast her vote in a wheelchair along with her husband and MP VK Srikandan. V. M. Sudhiran, who is abroad, could not vote. It was also discussed that Eldos Kunnappilly, who is absconding in the rape case, did not come to vote. When the poll day leaders took sides, the youth, including VT Balram, indirectly indicated that they were with Tharoor.
Counting the votes together cannot tell how many votes Tharoor got in Kerala. Tharoor’s supporters believe that despite the opposition of the groups and the leadership, they were able to create a positive movement at the grassroots level in Kerala.
Congress Presidential Election: Voting ends