‘Congress Leaders forced to back Kharge’: Shashi Tharoor claims ‘unequal playing field’ in prez polls

Shashi Tharoor, the head of the Congress and one of the two candidates for party president, has suggested that there may not be a level playing field in the elections. Tharoor has started running for president, and he said that certain influential people would be pressured to support his challenger, Mallikarjun Kharge. The INC is about to elect its first non-Gandhi president in more than 20 years with the approaching Congress presidential elections.

The Gandhi family has repeatedly clarified their position on this, although several media stories have asserted that they are supporting Kharge’s election as the new Congress president. While Shashi Tharoor has focused his campaign on the reforms the party has to make and has offered various plans if he is elected president, Mallikarjun Kharge has been working to maintain the status quo within the Congress party and favouring the present philosophy.

Shashi Tharoor said that there are rumours of a ‘uneven playing field’ in the Congress presidential elections and that some party officials are being ‘pressed to support Mallikarjun Kharge’ during a media event hosted by NDTV. According to NDTV’s report on Tharoor, ‘There are several factors that reflect an unequal playing field’.  He said that several leaders of the Congress had complained to him that they were being forced into endorsing Kharge in the elections.

In the meanwhile, Tharoor has further emphasised that, contrary to allegations, the Gandhi family has chosen to abstain from election interference and is not endorsing any particular candidate.  However, the Kerala MP claimed that certain individuals are attempting to ‘influence the voters’.

Tharoor emphasised that since he became Mallikarjun Kharge’s competitor candidate, Tharoor has been accompanied by regular party members whereas Kharge is always greeted and recognised by top Congress officials wherever he campaigns or holds rallies. He never directly urged me to resign, Tharoor said in response to a another persistent rumour, according to NDTV. ‘I would have had to apologise if he had asked me to, though. Numerous individuals risked their reputations to help me, and they afterwards received calls from other grandees asking them Why did you do this?’