Shashi Tharoor and Mallikarjun Kharge will compete against each other in the election for the post of the Congress president, according to the final list released by the party.
The election to decide the successor to the longest-serving party president Sonia Gandhi will take place on October 17 and the results will be announced two days later. The last date to file nominations was Friday.
Besides Tharoor and Kharge, Jharkhand Congress leader KN Tripathi had also filed his nomination to contest the poll. However, his nomination was rejected, said Madhusudan Mistry, Congress central election authority chairperson, PTI reported.
“Two candidates – Kharge and Tharoor – are in a direct contest now,” Mistry said.
These candidates can withdraw their forms till October 8. The polling will be held if Kharge and Tharoor retain their candidature. More than 9,000 Congress delegates will vote for the next chief.
After the candidates were declared, Tharoor said he was delighted to learn that he will compete against Kharge. “May the Party and all our colleagues benefit from this democratic process!” he added.
Delighted to learn that, following scrutiny, Shri @kharge and I will be squaring off in the friendly contest for President of @incIndia. May the Party and all our colleagues benefit from this democratic process! pic.twitter.com/X9XAyy8JCB
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor)…
