Party must do "Congress Jodo before Bharat Jodo": Former Congress leader Ashwani Kumar

Former senior Congress leader and former union minister Ashwani Kumar on Monday said that there is no doubt that Mallikarjun Kharge is winning the election for the post of Congress president, but it is necessary for the party to do "Congress Jodo" before Bharat Jodo.

Asserting that Congress cannot unite India without unifying the party itself, Ashwani Kumar told ANI, "The most important thing that Mallikarjun Kharge, who is also a senior leader, will do is to take everyone along. Till the time Congress does not unify itself, they cannot unite the country (Bharat Jodo)."

Former Union Minister further said that the most crucial thing Shashi Tharoor has done in the battle for the Congress president post is that he (Tharoor) has decided the path of his future.

"He may not win the elections but the courage he exhibited by contesting the presidential polls has established his good image in people's minds. It would be important to know what is Tharoor's stand, where is he moving and what are his actions after the election results on Wednesday (October 19)," the former Union Minister said.

He further lauded the Congress' initiative to conduct internal elections and claimed that Kharge will win these elections.

"It is good that elections are being held in the Congress party, everyone knows who will win. Kharge will win because he is the unofficially declared candidate of the Congress leadership. But there are two favourable things here that both the candidates have kept their campaign level high and this election could be held in a cordial manner," he added.

Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor, the two senior leaders of the Congress Party, face off each other on Monday for the post of All India Congress Committee (AICC) chief.

This will be for the first time in over 24 years that the party would elect a non-Gandhi president to lead this 137-year-old party.

Both Mallikarjun Kharge (80) and Shashi Tharoor (66) maintain a close relationship with the Gandhi family. Over 9,000 Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates are voting to elect the party's chief in a secret ballot.

Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and others cast their votes in Delhi.

While Party President Candidate Malikarjun Kharge cast his vote in Bengaluru, Shashi Tharoor cast his vote in Trivandrum.

( With inputs from ANI )

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