What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
The much-anticipated Congress presidential elections saw an impressive 96 per cent turnout, according to Madhusudhan Mistry, chairman of the Congress Election Authority and veteran party leader.
The much-anticipated Congress presidential elections saw an impressive 96 per cent turnout, according to Madhusudhan Mistry, chairman of the Congress Election Authority and veteran party leader.
The elections, which were held after a gap of 22 years, saw party veteran and overwhelming favourite Mallikarjun Kharge lock horns with senior party leader Shashi Tharoor.
The voting began at 10 am and ended at 4 pm. The voting took place at 36 places across the country, including the camp side of the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Karnataka, where the Yatris, including former party chief Rahul Gandhi, voted.
Addressing the media at the party headquarters, Mistry said, “The process of election for Congress president has been carried out. It has been going on for the last two years and was delayed. And in the last six months, it has gained momentum.”
Mistry said that about 9,900 delegates were eligible to vote. “About 9,497, out of 9,915 delegates, voted. The election saw about 96 per cent voting,” he said. “The actual figures from all states will be out on Tuesday,” he added.
Mistry further said that no untoward incident was reported during the election. “The entire election process was carried out peacefully. The elections are an example of internal democracy, Congress proved it today and other parties can learn from it,” Mistry said.
Mistry also said that 87 people voted at AICC headquarters. “About 50 people voted during the Bharat Jodo Yatra,” he said.
Secretary of Indian Overseas Congress Virendra Vashisht voted at Haryana Congress office in Chandigarh.
The Congress leader said that party interim chief Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, former Prime minister Manmohan Singh, and former Union minister P Chidambaram were among those who voted at party headquarters.
He also said that the counting of votes will take place on October 19 and that the votes of all the PCCs will be mixed together so that no vote can be traced back.
Earlier in the day, Sonia Gandhi, while going to vote, said, “I have been waiting for this for a long time.”
While Kharge has been considered the Gandhi family’s ‘unofficial official candidate’ with a large number of senior leaders backing him, Tharoor pitched himself as the candidate of change.
Both candidates have vigorously campaigned across India, and Kharge has got the support of several senior leaders.
Tharoor had earlier said something about an uneven playing field during campaigning and the different treatment of Kharge.
He had asserted that several PCC chiefs and senior leaders were not available for a meeting with him during his visits to their respective states, but they welcomed Kharge and showed their support when he visited them.
