Congress presidential polls: Here’s what the Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor proposers say

However, the reason for Tharoor’s optimism is the yearning for change among Congress workers, who have been seeing the downhill slide of the party since 2014.

Change vs status quo

Apart from it being a contest between two distinct personalities, the presidential election is also being perceived as a choice between change vs status quo as far as the Congress is concerned.

In fact, Tharoor himself said: “Those who would like status quo to continue may not be inclined to vote for me because I represent change, a different approach, and a vision to take the party forward in a different way as for some years we have been suffering setbacks.”

South First spoke to Congress leaders who proposed either of the two leaders as the nominee for the presidential polls to understand their choices and what they mean for the party.

I present my 60 nominees. 12 states, all levels of leadership but all proud @INCIndia workers. I thank them & the thousands of workers they represent for the faith they have placed in me. Thanks, my Parliamentrary colleagues, for yr unwavering support. #ThinkTharoorThinkTomorrow pic.twitter.com/qbml84m4Vk

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) October 1, 2022

‘System needs a shake-up’

Kerala Youth Congress vice-president KS Sabarinadhan is among those who have nominated Tharoor for the post of party president.

Sabarinadhan told South First that he extended his support to the Thiruvananthapuram MP as he believed that the Congress was going through a “lean patch” as it was not being able to effectively communicate its ideology to the masses.

“At a time when the BJP is becoming very strong and the right-wing narrative is being spread across the country, the Congress needs someone who can effectively communicate with the people, expose the BJP, and talk about strong social-economic policies,” he said.

“Today, there are two people in the Congress who are capable of doing that: Rahul Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor,” said Sabarinadhan, explaining why he thought Tharoor would make the next best Congress president.

He also pointed out that many apolitical people were moving towards parties like the Aam Aadmi Party, despite their policies being similar to that of Congress, because of the AAP’s middle-class look and feel.

For the Congress to regain that appeal among the middle class, Tharoor would be the ideal candidate, he believed.

Furthermore, Tharoor’s Malayali roots were another reason the Kerala youth wing leader decided to back him in the presidential race.

“The only Congress president from Kerala was C Shankaran Nair in 1897. If I get to support a Malayali candidate for the post of AICC president after 125 years, then why not?” Sabarinadhan asked.

More importantly, commenting on the need to effect changes in the party, which Tharoor proposes to do, he remarked that what the party today needs is a shake-up.

He explained: “A century-old system like that of the Congress tends to get complacent. It’s true for any organisation. Today, the Congress is in a mode of inertia and someone needs to shake it up. There may be some issues when that happens, but it will make the system effective again.”

What could influence Tharoor vs Kharge race?

However, one of the main questions that many raise about Tharoor’s candidature is whether he will be able to win hearts in the Hindi heartland, where the Congress is struggling to perform electorally.

Asked about this, Sabarinadhan said that after Rahul Gandhi, Tharoor was the most popular leader in the Congress today.

“Tharoor is well-versed in Hindi. He might not be able to speak Modi-like Hindi. But he can converse effectively in multiple languages,” he opined.

It may be noted that with  Kharge filing his nomination for the elections, it has become a contest between two South Indians. If the worry is that Tharoor might not be able to reach out to the Hindi belt effectively, it could equally apply to Kharge.

As for Tharoor’s experience, apart from his strong academic background, he has worked as the under-secretary-general of the United Nations.

After entering politics, he has been elected as a member of parliament thrice. He also served as minister of state when the UPA was in power.

Tharoor has fully immersed himself into campaigning for the polls.

Apart from launching the #ThinkTomorrowThinkTharoor campaign on social media, signifying that he represents change and reforms, he is also on the ground garnering support from the party electorate.

Several Congress leaders like Salman Soz and Karti Chidambaram are also campaigning in support of him on social media platforms.

I am privileged to be one of the 60 @INCIndia delegates who signed the nomination form of @ShashiTharoor We need to usher in bold new thinking & action into our party’s functioning. https://t.co/JLO0LNjFjv

— Karti P Chidambaram (@KartiPC) September 30, 2022

Kharge, a man of experience

As for Mallikarjun Kharge’s credentials, apart from being a Gandhi loyalist, his rich experience in politics and public life is cited as one of the reasons by his supporters he should be the next president of the Congress.

The 80-year-old Kharge, it may be noted, was elected to the Karnataka Assembly for nine consecutive terms from 1972 to 2009. He served as a minister in the Karnataka government multiple times.

Kharge also worked as Union Cabinet minister twice, and was the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha when he filed nominations for the Congress presidential election.

The second list of proposers for Mallikarjun Kharge as AICC president. (Supplied)

Among the who’s who of the Congress who proposed his name for the election was V Narayanasamy, senior leader and former chief minister of Puducherry.

Narayanasamy told South First that he supported Kharge mainly because of his wide experience in public life.

“Though Tharoor is a good friend, Kharge is a better candidate because of his experience. He has a long experience of being in government as well as working in the party,” he opined.

However, many fear that if Kharge is elected the Congress president, not many things would change in a party that needs to adopt urgent and effective course-correction measures.

Political observers claim that Kharge would not be able to function independently and would have to go by what the Gandhis said. His age is also cited as a drawback by many.

Asked if Kharge meant status quo in the affairs of the Congress, Narayanasamy questioned the kind of changes others were demanding.

“If you say you want to decentralise the party, the state units are already functioning independently. When you are saying you will change the high command culture, the AICC president is the high command of the party. So, if you are elected president, you are the high command,” he argued.

As for campaigning, Kharge is not as active as Tharoor, probably because he is touted to achieve a comfortable win in the race.

(With inputs from Sreerag PS)