On the eve of polling for the Congress presidential election, Shashi Tharoor, who is contesting against Mallikarjun Kharge, claimed that Congress was necessary for the democracy of the country.
He said that the organisational elections were very important for the future of the party. “We will prepare Congress for the future,” Tharoor asserted while addressing the media at the party state headquarters in Lucknow on Sunday afternoon.
He said that there was no election for the post of Congress president for 22 years. “When Rahul Gandhi decided that he would not contest the election, I took the decision to fight for the post. The party is in trouble. Many senior leaders have left the party. The confidence of senior leaders has also weakened a bit. Strong Congress is necessary for the country,” he said, adding that they wanted to show that the party could imbibe change for the future.
Despite the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi, Congress has shown that it can run the country, he said.
Tharoor said that it was necessary to raise the voice of the party workers. “I had gone to meet current party president Sonia Gandhi before the nomination. She consented. She asked me to contest and told that we will not have any official candidate. The Gandhi family wants people to choose their president as per their wish. This election is also good for Congress. If the Gandhi family wants people to choose, it is fine,” he asserted.
Speaking about rival candidate Mallikarjun Kharge, Tharoor said that they were not against each other. “I have worked with them. He has vast experience in parliamentary politics. The way we both work is different,” Tharoor said, adding that if he became Congress president, he would decentralise the party.
“I will ensure that all decisions are not taken from Delhi. Each state president should take his own decision. There should be two days in a week when leaders can meet the (Congress) president without appointment, he said.
Tharoor claimed that whosoever won the polls, it would be the victory for the party’s internal democracy.
Meanwhile, the differences within the party came to the fore as veteran Congress leader Pramod Tiwari, while expressing full respect to Tharoor, said that the election for the post of “president” of the Indian National Congress is being fought in a very friendly atmosphere, but he was disappointed and pained after learning of the statement made by Tharoor”.
Interestingly Tiwari openly supported Kharge and appealed to the Congressmen to vote for him. Tiwari also said he was confident of Kharge’s victory.
“I and millions of people like me have reverence and respect for Sonia Gandhi, and the sacrifices that the Gandhi family has made for the freedom of the country, for unity and integrity and for the welfare of the people of the country. No family in the world has given such sacrifice, nor has it given up,” he said.
Tiwari claimed while Indiraji and Rajivji had laid their lives for the country, Sonia Gandhi presented a unique example of Indian civilisation and culture after the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi by not accepting the post of prime minister of the country.
“Dr Manmohan Singh, both in United Progressive Alliance-1 and UPA-2 had asked Rahul Gandhi to become the prime minister whenever he wanted but he too served the country instead of having lust for post,” Tiwari said.
Tiwari claimed that the statement of Tharoor that he would revive the Congress was highly objectionable and he wanted to ask him whether the party was not alive at present under the leadership of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi.
He demanded that Tharoor should immediately withdraw this statement and express regret for it.