With Mallikarjun Kharge being elected as the new Congress president defeating Shashi Tharoor in a direct contest on Wednesday, no enthusiasm was witnessed in the Uttar Pradesh Congress headquarters here.
Some leaders close to Congress general secretary and party incharge of Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and her personal staff were the only ones seen enjoying sweets to celebrate the occasion. The camp of another veteran leader, Pramod Tiwari, who gave open support to Kharge, was also happy with the outcome of the party’s presidential poll.
Sources said that a big section of party’s old warriors were not happy as they felt that the leaders close to Priyanka Vadra and Pramod Tiwari had made their own followers as PCC delegates to ensure Kharge’s victory.
A former president of UPCC, on condition of anonymity, said that everyone knew who were the present PCC delegates who voted for the new president.
“The party never published the list of PCC delegates as always done in earlier elections. Besides, election norms were also broken here during voting for the party president’s post so the result is well known to everyone, so the question of anyone celebrating the occasion did not arise,” he claimed while pointing out that no crackers were burnt nor was anyone seen dancing which as seen earlier when the party elected its president.