Congressmen in Karnataka hopeful of Kharge's win in party prez poll

Congressmen in Karnataka are hopeful that Mallikarjun Kharge would be elected to the post of the party president in the poll that was held on Monday.

Kharge, a Member of Rajya Sabha from Karnataka, is pitted against Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor in the election.

Congress leaders queued up at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office in Bengaluru to elect their first non-Gandhi president in 24 years.

Several senior partymen, including Kharge himself, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah ans State Congress president D K Shivakumar were among those who cast votes.

Party leader Rahul Gandhi, who is leading the Bharat Jodo Yatra which is passing through Karnataka, cast his vote at the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ camp site in Sanganakallu, Ballari district.

Arrangements were also made for about 40 other ‘Bharat Jodo Yatris’, who cast their votes.

Results of the election would be declared on October 19.

If elected, the 80-year-old Kharge would be the second AICC president from Karnataka after S Nijalingappa and also a second Dalit leader after Jagjivan Ram to hold the post.

Noting that there are a total 503 votes from Karnataka to elect the party president, Siddaramaiah said, ”Kharge is a senior leader who has honestly served the party for over 5 decades and has a lot of experience. I feel that he will win with a huge majority. I’m confident that all votes from Karnataka would have gone in Kharge’s favour. His victory is 100 percent certain.” Shivakumar, too, said Kharge has vast experience and has worked on party affairs in other States, and it certainly would be helpful in managing the party.

He said Tharoor did not contact him seeking any support.

However, Kharge, not willing to speak much, said there is nothing to say until election results are out on October 19. ”Elections are going on well in all States, but in whose favour (votes are being cast) I don’t know.” When told that leaders in Karnataka have said things in his favour, he said ”Let’s see what happens in the ballot box…let’s see what happens after the counting.” Earlier in the day, Kharge spoke to Tharoor and wished the latter all the best.

”My best wishes to @ShashiTharoor. Spoke to him earlier today, both of us are contesting to strengthen @INCIndia to build a stronger & better nation for the future generations,” he tweeted.

A leader with more than 50 years of experience in politics, Kharge, who was elected MLA nine times in a row, has seen a steady rise in his career from humble beginnings as a unionist in his home district of Gulbarga, now Kalaburagi.