New Delhi: Voting ended on Monday in the Congress presidential poll as senior leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor faced off for the post of AICC chief. About 9,500 delegates cast their votes in the polls which saw a turnout of 96 per cent, Party election panel chairman Madhusudan Mistry said in post-poll presser.
"The polls were held in an open manner. There was no adverse incident during the polls. Other parties can learn lessons from it," Mistry said. Voting began at 10 am at the AICC headquarters here and at the party's polling booths in state offices across the country. As voting in the Congress presidential poll got underway, outgoing party chief Sonia Gandhi said she had been waiting for a long time for this day.
Sonia along with party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra cast their votes to elect her successor. Speaking to reporters Sonia said that she had been waiting for the polls for a long time. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi also cast his vote during the day. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also cast his vote.
He had bowed out of the race for the party's top post following a rebellion by Congress MLAs loyal to him against the prospect of his rival Sachin Pilot becoming the Chief Minister in case he became the Congress president.
Speaking to media persons in Thiruvananthapuram earlier in the day, Tharoor said that the odds were stacked against his camp as the party leaders and establishment were overwhelmingly siding with the other candidate. "I am confident. The fate of the Congress party is in the hands of party workers. The odds have been stacked against us as the party leaders and establishment were overwhelmingly with the other candidate," he said.
"Today I spoke to Mr Kharge and said whatever has happened, we remain colleagues and friends," he added. Describing the Congress presidential poll as an "internal election" Kharge said "It is part of our internal election. Whatever we said to each other is on a friendly note. Together we have to build the party. (Shashi) Tharoor telephoned me and wished me luck and I also said the same."
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Voting for the much anticipated Congress presidential election started at 10 am at the AICC headquarters in Delhi and at the 65 party polling booths in state offices across the country. Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram was the first to cast his vote at the AICC headquarters, sources said.
"The delegates from all states voted at their respective polling stations with a 'tick' mark for the candidate they support. Arrangements were made for smooth polling," said Mistry earlier in the day.
"Ballot boxes will reach Delhi on October 18 and the counting of votes will be done on October 19. The whole polling process will be fair & free, no doubt about that," he added.
Despite the repeated claims by the Congress leadership of the presidential polls being a democratic and friendly contest Tharoor has taken veiled digs at senior leaders of the Kharge camp accusing them of "indulging in 'netagiri' and telling party workers" that they know whom Sonia Gandhi wants to be elected.
Kharge is considered the firm favorite for his perceived proximity to the Gandhis and backing by senior leaders, even as Tharoor has pitched himself as the candidate of change. During the campaign, even though Tharoor raised issues of uneven playing field, both candidates and the party have maintained that the Gandhis are neutral and that there is no "official candidate". (With Agency inputs)
