Kharge, Tharoor ready for friendly contest after Digvijaya Singh opts out

New Delhi: After several ups and downs for so many days, Gandhi family-backed veteran Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, who filed his nomination papers for the Congress president post on Friday, is all set to become the second AICC president from Karnataka after S Nijalingappa and also a Dalit leader to hold the post after Jagjivan Ram.

Apart from Kharge, former union minister Shashi Tharoor and former Jharkhand minister KN Tripathi have also filed their nomination papers for the party's top post on the last day of nomination. The nomination of Tripathi is seen as part of Congress strategy to present a democratic picture of the party.

In a big shot in the arm for Kharge, who is presently Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, G-23 leaders have also come in the support of Kharge –a hardcore loyalist of the Gandhi family. During nomination filing, G-23 leaders Anand Sharma, Prithviraj Chavan, Manish Tewari and Bhupinder Hooda have become the proposers for Kharge's candidature.

As per sources, the name of Kharge was decided at the last moment as G-23 leaders expressed their displeasure over the nomination of Digvijaya Singh during a meeting that was held on Thursday late evening.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who was the first choice of Congress' first family, announced on Friday that he will not contest the party president's election and would instead propose the candidature of his senior Kharge. He also said that he has worked for the Congress all his life and will continue to do so.

"Khargeji is my leader and my senior. I had asked him yesterday if he wanted to contest. He said no. I met him again today. I told him I am with you fully if you are contesting. I can't think of contesting against him. He is filing his nomination and I will be his proposer," Singh said. "There are some non-negotiables in my life. I don't compromise on issues related to Dalits, tribals and OBCs; I don't compromise with those who spoil communal harmony and I don't compromise my commitment to the Gandhi family," he said.

The 80-year-old Kharge, flanked by top Congress leaders, filed several sets of nomination papers with the proposers including members from the G-23 group.

Tharoor, who was also part of the G-23 group, filed five sets of nomination papers, while former Jharkhand minister Tripathi filed a single set of poll papers with Madhusudan Mistry, the chairman of the Congress's Central Election Authority.

Kharge appeared to be a clear favourite for the Congress presidential election as a galaxy of leaders were present by his side when he filed his nomination papers at the AICC headquarters here.

"I was encouraged by all leaders, party workers and delegates from key states to contest the elections. I thank those who were present by my side at the time of filing the nomination papers," Kharge told reporters.

No one from the Gandhi family was present at the AICC headquarters when the leaders filed their nominations for the election.

"I have always been fighting this battle and I am keen to fight more to uphold the ideals of the Congress party with which I have been associated since my childhood," Kharge said.

Tharoor, 66, described his electoral opponent Kharge as the 'Bhishma Pitamah' of the party. "It is a privilege to serve the only party in India with an open democratic process to choose its leader," Tharoor said after filing his nomination papers.

"It is a friendly contest that is going to happen. We are not enemies or rivals. No disrespect to him but I will represent my ideas," the Lok Sabha member from Thiruvananthapuram told reporters.

Friday was the last day for filing nomination papers. Over 9,100 delegates are eligible to cast their votes in the October 17 election. The result will be announced on October 19.