Contesting For Party Presidentship Are Nothing But Rumours: Shashi Tharoor

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday said his chances of contesting the election of the party president are mere speculations. He also said that this election is good for the party.

Tharoor told reporters, his chances of contesting the elections are just speculations. I haven't announced anything. All I have said is that elections should be held and it is good for the party. Sources say that Tharoor is exploring the possibility of contesting for the post of Congress President. However, he has not yet taken a final decision on this.

Tharoor has written an article in Mathrubhumi, a Malayalam daily, in which he has called for free and fair elections. In this article, he said that the party should also announce elections for a dozen seats of the Congress Working Committee (CWC). At the same time, in the article, he also wrote mentioning that, if someone outside the Gandhi family becomes the Congress President, then it will be good for the party. Tharoor supported the taking up of this top post by a person outside the Gandhi family.

According to a report published in the media, former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Digvijay Singh can also fill the nomination papers for the top post. However, while talking to a media channel, he said that anyone in the Congress party can contest elections. Apart from Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Digvijay Singh, any person can contest elections within the Congress party. He also targeted the BJP and questioned that why this question was not asked to Bharatiya Janata Party and why elections are not conducted for the post of President in BJP.

According to the election schedule announced by the Congress, the notification for the election of the party president will be issued on September 22, nominations can be filed from September 24 and if there are more than one candidates, the voting will be held on October 17.