Congress President Election: New party chief will decide how to implement leadership vision, says Salman Khurshid

15:48 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

71% voting percentage till 3 pm

According to the latest updates for the Congress Presidential election, 71 per cent voting percentage has been recorded till 3 pm.

15:33 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

250 delegates cast vote in Gujarat till 1.30 pm

Around 250 Congress delegates out of the total 407 in Gujarat have so far voted for the polls underway on Monday to elect the next All India Congress Committee (AICC) president, a party spokesperson said.

Congress veteran Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Shashi Tharoor are in the race for the top party post.

Gujarat Congress president Jagdish Thakor and former state chief Amit Chavda were among those who exercised their franchise at the state party headquarters in Paldi area of the city.

There was a queue of voters in the morning. Around 250 delegates, including senior state Congress leaders, cast their votes till 1.30 pm, party spokesperson Alok Sharma said.

Voting began at 10 am at the AICC headquarters in Delhi and at the party's polling booths in state offices across the country.

PTI

15:32 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

Congress will emerge stronger under its new president: Goa unit chief Amit Patkar

The Congress will emerge stronger in the country under its new national president, Goa party head Amit Patkar said on Monday after casting his vote for polls to elect the next All India Congress Committee (AICC) chief.

Congress veteran Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Shashi Tharoor are contesting the election for the top party post.

Out of the total 31 delegates in Goa, "75 per cent have cast their votes so far," a senior party leader said.

The polling was being held at the state party headquarters in Panaji.

More than 9,000 Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates form the electoral college to pick the party chief in a secret ballot.

PTI

15:04 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

Ex-President's son Abhijit tweets  support for Kharge despite leaving Cong and joined TMC

Former President Pranab Mukherjee's son Abhijit Mukherjee who had left his father's party to join Trinamool Congress last year created a storm in a tea cup on Monday by urging his ex-party colleagues to vote for Malikarjun Kharge, in elections being held for the Congress President's post, through a surprise tweet.

The Indian National Congress of which Mukherjee's father and grandfather were members, is witnessing a contest for the post of party President with Kharge battling it out with his younger colleague Shashi Tharoor.

"Urge every voter of @INCIndia party to elect @Kharge ji, a very senior and experienced leader who has led @INCIndia Parliamentary Party in Lok Sabha," Mukherjee, who has been twice elected as Congress MP from Jangipur, tweeted Monday morning.

The social media post created a storm of sorts with some Twitterati advising him not to interfere in the affairs of a party Mukherjee had left, while others speculated his future political plans.

PTI

14:51 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

Kharge wishes Tharoor, says both contesting to strengthen Congress

Veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge, who is a candidate for the Congress' Presidential polls, for which voting is underway on Monday, greeted his opponent Shashi Tharoor with "best wishes", and said both of them were contesting to strengthen the party and to build a better nation.

He even spoke to the Thiruvananthapuram MP earlier in the day.

"My best wishes to @ShashiTharoor. Spoke to him earlier today, both of us are contesting to strengthen @INCIndia to build a stronger & better nation for the future generations," Kharge tweeted.

A Member of Rajya Sabha from Karnataka, the 80-year old cast his vote for the party's presidential post at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee office here, earlier today.

Results of the election will be declared on 19 October.

PTI

14:34 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

I am standing for change: Shashi Tharoor on Cong prez poll

"I am standing for change", Congress presidential poll candidate Shashi Tharoor said on Monday after casting his vote along with 264 other party delegates from the state.

Of the total 310 delegates in Kerala, 264 cast their vote till 1 PM in favour of either Tharoor or his rival Mallikarjun Kharge, who has been openly supported by the senior party leaders in the southern state. Polling will end at 4 PM.

Prior to casting his vote, Tharoor told reporters here that there is a need for a change in how the party functions and this poll was part of that.

After casting his vote, he told reporters that he did not stand in the election for himself, but instead he stood for the Congress and the country.

"India needs a strong Congress. I did not contest for my political future, but for that of the Congress and India. I am here as a viable alternative. I am standing for change. A change in how the party functions," he said.

PTI

14:17 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

'Want Rahul Gandhi to stop Bharat Jodo Yatra...': Congress MP Francisco Sardinha

Congress MP Francisco Sardinha on Monday claimed that the Congress is the "only party" which can defeat the BJP and hence Rahul Gandhi should now stop the Bharat Jodo Yatra and go to Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat to campaign for the Assembly polls.

"I want Rahul Gandhi to stop the Bharat Jodo Yatra and go to Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat to awaken the public so that they vote for the only party that can defeat BJP. The only party that can be an opposition to BJP is Congress," said Congress MP Francisco Sardinha after casting his vote for the next president of Congress.

The Election Commission on Friday declared that Assembly polls will be held in Himachal Pradesh on 12 November and the counting of votes will take place on 8 December.

ANI

14:01 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

Mallikarjun Kharge vs Shashi Tharoor: Why Congress held elections only six times to pick its president

Voting for the much-touted Congress presidential election is underway. Mallikarjun Kharge is facing Shashi Tharoor in the polls that will elect a non-Gandhi party president after 24 years.

Senior leaders including incumbent Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, P Chidambaram and Jairam Ramesh among others cast their vote today (17 October) in the All India Congress Committee (AICC) election.

Rahul Gandhi polled at the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ campsite at Karnataka’s Sanganakallu in Ballari.

The grand old party’s general secretary Jairam Ramesh has hailed the presidential elections as ‘historic’.

Read More

14:00 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

Satisfied with Cong's prez polls process; elections free, fair, transparent: Madhusudan Mistry

Congress' central election authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry on Monday said he is satisfied with the party's presidential polls process, and asserted that the elections are "free, fair and transparent".

Voting began on Monday in the Congress presidential polls as senior leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor face-off for the post of AICC chief.

Over 9,000 Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates form the electoral college to pick the party chief in a secret ballot.

Asked about the polling going on at the 68 polling booths the party has set up for the polls, Mistry told PTI, "It is going quite smoothly everywhere, we don't have any kind of adverse information from anywhere. Even old delegates are standing in queue to cast their vote, there is a lot of enthusiasm in delegates to cast their vote."

PTI

13:50 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

New party chief will decide how to implement leadership vision: Salman Khurshid

"Party leadership will remain. The new party president will decide how to take forward and implement the leadership's vision," says Congress leader Salman Khurshid at the AICC office in Delhi.

13:41 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

Voting on for Cong presidential election

Voting for the Congress presidential election was underway here on Monday.

As many as 340 delegates are eligible to exercise their franchise.

Several Congress delegates, including JKPCC president Vikar Rasool, Karan Singh, and former JKPCC president Ghulam Ahmed Mir, cast their votes here.

Speaking on the occasion, Rasool said two polling stations have been set up, one each in Srinagar and Jammu, where delegates will cast their votes.

PTI

13:27 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

MP Manish Tewari, Haryana Cong leader Hooda cast vote

Senior Congress leader Manish Tewari and former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda cast their votes for the Congress presidential poll at their respective party offices on Monday.

Anandpur Sahib MP Tewari cast his vote at the Punjab Congress Bhawan while Hooda at the Haryana Congress Bhawan here.             

Voting for the Congress presidential poll began at 10 AM and will continue till 4 pm.

There are 234 delegates of the Punjab Congress and 195 delegates of the Haryana Congress who will be casting their votes.

PTI

13:07 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

Voting for Cong presidential election underway in UP

Voting for the All India Congress Committee president election was underway at the party headquarters in Uttar Pradesh.

"Voting at the UP Congress Committee began at 10 am. Till now, around 300 party delegates have cast their votes," UP Congress spokesperson Ashok Singh told PTI.

Around 1,250 party delegates are expected to cast their votes.

Another party spokesperson Vikas Srivastava said the voting will continue till 4 pm.

PTI

12:52 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

Former CM Kamal Nath among early voters in MP

Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath and his parliamentarian son Nakul Nath cast their votes on Monday soon after polling began to elect the next All India Congress Committee (AICC) chief.

Veteran Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge is pitted against party MP Shashi Tharoor for the Congress president's post.

A total of 502 delegates from Madhya Pradesh are eligible to cast their votes in the polls.

Voting was underway at the Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee office in Bhopal since 10 am and will conclude at 4 pm, a Congress leader said.

Besides Kamal Nath and his son, Leader of Opposition in the MP Assembly Govind Singh also exercised his right to franchise, he said.

Around 150 delegates have so far cast their ballots for the party president's post, he said.

PTI

12:30 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh cast his vote

Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh cast his vote to elect the new Congress president in New Delhi on Monday.

Delhi | Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh casts his vote to choose the new Congress president pic.twitter.com/ETSvSdHKbk— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2022

12:19 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi casts his vote to elect the next party president

#WATCH | Congress MP Rahul Gandhi casts his vote to elect the next party president at Bharat Jodo Yatra campsite in Ballari, Karnataka

(Source: AICC) pic.twitter.com/9Jit8vIpVo— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2022

12:04 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

Maha party chief Nana Patole, former state head Balasaheb Thorat cast vote

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole and former state unit head Balasaheb Thorat were among the first few leaders to cast their vote on Monday to elect the next All India Congress Committee (AICC) chief.

Voting is underway for the Congress presidential polls as senior leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor face-off for the post of the AICC chief.

A total of 797 Congress delegates from Maharashtra are eligible to cast their votes. Out of these delegates, 561 are from the party's Maharashtra Pradesh unit, while 236 belong to the Mumbai unit.

The polling is being held at Tilak Bhavan in Dadar area of Mumbai.

The delegates from the state include former chief ministers Sushilkumar Shinde, Prithviraj Chavan and Ashok Chavan.

PTI

12:03 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

Brisk polling at TN Congress office in AICC presidential election

Brisk polling was witnessed at the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee office here as elections for the next All India Congress Committee chief got underway here on Monday.

Senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor are in the fray as the grand old party is all set to have a non-Gandhi president in over 24 years.

In Tamil Nadu, a total of 711 voters are eligible to cast their vote. The existing auditorium at Sathyamurthy Bhavan has been converted into a polling camp.

Some of the early voters included TNCC president K S Alagiri, senior Congress leaders Karti P Chidambaram and Peter Alphonse.

PTI

11:53 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

I've been waiting for a long time for this: Sonia Gandhi on Congress Presidential Election

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Monday said she has been “waiting for a long time” for the party’s presidential election.

On Monday, voting began in the Congress presidential polls as senior leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor face-off for the post of AICC chief. Over 9,000 Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates form the electoral college will pick the party chief in a secret ballot. Voting began at 10 am at the AICC headquarters here and at party’s polling booths in state offices across the country.

Read More

11:51 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

Mallikarjun Kharge casts his vote in Bengaluru

Karnataka | Congress presidential election candidate Mallikarjun Kharge casts his vote in Bengaluru pic.twitter.com/bfIsEGfVPp— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2022

11:50 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

'Polling underway in a transparent way': DK Shivakumar

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president DK Shivakumar Monday said: "It is a historic day for the Congress party. 490 people voting here today; polling going on in a transparent way. The country will benefit from this."

ANI

11:41 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

Rajasthan CM casts his vote

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday cast his vote at the party office here for the Congress presidential poll. 

He also tweeted a picture of him casting the vote.

The voting began at 10 am and Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Govind Singh Dotasra, chief whip Mahesh Joshi, ministers BD Kalla, Vishvendra Singh, Mamta Bhupesh and several other delegates also cast their votes.

Two booths have been set up in the PCC office for voting from 10 am to 4 pm. There are 414 delegates in the state who will be casting votes.

PTI

11:34 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

AP leaders begin voting in AICC president's election

Polling for the election of All India Congress Committee president began on an enthusiastic note at Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh on Monday.

Party spokesman Janga Gautam cast the first vote at the polling station in the Kurnool district Congress office.

State Congress president Sake Sailajanath, working presidents N Thulasi Reddy, Sheik Mastanvali and other leaders also exercised their franchise.

About 350 Pradesh Congress Committee members from the state are eligible to vote in the presidential election.

PTI

11:28 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

Ramesh hails Cong presidential polls as historic

The Congress presidential polls are free, fair and transparent, party general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on Monday and hailed the elections as "historic".

He said the Congress is the only political party that has elections for the post of president and also the only one to have a TN Seshan-like central election authority chairman in Madhusudan Mistry.

Ramesh said it is the sixth occasion in the 137-year-old history of the Congress that an election contest for the post of president is taking place.

PTI

11:27 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

Sonia Gandhi, Priyank Gandhi Vadra cast votes at AICC Office in Delhi

#WATCH | Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi & party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra cast their vote to elect the new party president, at the AICC office in Delhi pic.twitter.com/aErRUpRVv0— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2022

11:09 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

Shashi Tharoor vs Mallikarjun Kharge: How Congress will pick its first non-Gandhi president in 24 years

It’s a big day for Congress. The Grand Old Party is all set to pick a non-Gandhi president in more than 24 years, as senior leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor are up against each other in an internal election.

The voting will take place at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) office headquarters in Delhi and 65 polling booths across the country between 10 am and 4 pm and the results will be declared on 19 October.

Read More

11:06 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge to vote in Karnataka

Voting in the Congress Presidential election is underway on Monday in Karnataka, where party leader Rahul Gandhi and one of the candidates for the top post Mallikarjun Kharge, will be casting their votes.

Kharge, a Member of Rajya Sabha from Karnataka is pitted against Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor in the polls to the party's highest post.

Rahul Gandhi will cast his vote in a meeting room container converted into a polling booth at the Bharat Jodo Yatra camp site in Sanganakallu in Ballari district, while Kharge will vote at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee office in Bengaluru.

About 40 other Bharat Yatris, who are PCC delegates, will also be casting their votes at the camp site in Sanganakallu between 10am and 4 pm today, which has been declared as "Rest Day" for the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Results of the election will be declared on October 19.

PTI

10:59 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

Electors asked to put tick mark after Tharoor's team flags putting '1' may lead to confusion

Electors in the Congress presidential polls have been asked to put a tick mark against the name of their choice on the ballot paper after AICC president candidate Shashi Tharoor's team took up with the party's top poll body the issue of its earlier directive that voters write "1" to reflect their preference, citing that it may lead to confusion, sources said on Sunday.

In instructions for polling issued on Saturday, Congress central election authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry had said PCC Members "will mark '1' on the ballot paper against the name of the candidate and fold the ballot paper to put it into the ballot box".    

Tharoor's team took up the issue with Mistry, stating that this may confuse the voters as Kharge is on serial number 1 and Tharoor on serial number 2 on the ballot paper and writing '1' in front of the name of the preferred candidate would put the latter at a "disadvantage, the sources said.

After Tharoor's team flagged this issue, Mistry is said to have conveyed to them that a tick would be accepted against the name of the preferred candidate instead of '1', they said.

PTI

10:55 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

310 delegates from Kerala to cast vote

Polling for the Congress president's post commenced at 10 AM at the KPCC state headquarters here where 310 Congress delegates from Kerala are expected to cast their vote on Monday either for Shashi Tharoor or Mallikarjun Kharge for the party chief's position.

While many of the senior leaders from Kerala, the home turf of Tharoor, have openly declared their support for Kharge, the MP from Thiruvananthapuram has claimed that he has support of the youth leaders and party workers.

Senior party leaders like Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief K Sudhakaran, VD Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala and K Muraleedharan have said that Kharge was better suited for the party president post as he has risen through the ranks and was more experienced than Tharoor.

PTI

10:49 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

‘Election gives the message of internal harmony,’ says Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot

Today is a historic day, the election for Congress president is taking place today after 22 years. This election gives the message of internal harmony in the party. My relation with Gandhi family will be same even after 19 Oct (day of counting of votes): Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot pic.twitter.com/CRxpYAz5nX— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2022

10:47 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

Meeting room converted into polling booth in Karnataka

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh informed on Monday that the meeting room container in the Bharat Jodo Yatra had been converted into a polling booth for the party members to elect their new president.

This polling booth is located at the campsite of the Bharat Jodo Yatra where the Rahul Gandhi-led Congress party's 3500 kilometres yatra from Kanniyakumari to Kashmir is observing a "rest day" on the 40th day of the march in Sanganakallu since its commencement on September 7.

ANI

This is the polling booth at the #BharatJodoYatra campsite in Sanganakallu that will open at 10am. It is the meeting room container converted into a polling booth for the Congress Presidential elections. pic.twitter.com/3LvvALEHp9— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) October 17, 2022

10:39 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

75 delegates including Sonia, Priyanka Gandhi to vote at AICC headquarters

A total of 75 delegates from the Congress party will cast their votes for electing the new party president in the national capital, said sources on Monday.

With the party all set to elect its new president, the 75 delegates including interim chief Sonia Gandhi, General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other members of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) and senior leaders will cast their vote in the headquarters of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in New Delhi.

Apart from these, 280 other delegates will also cast their vote in the Delhi Congress office, the sources added.

ANI

10:32 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

Congress MPs cast their votes at the AICC office in Delhi

Congress presidential elections | Congress MPs P Chidambaram, Jairam Ramesh and other party leaders cast their votes at the AICC office in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/IUMhCjKdst— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2022

10:24 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

'I'm confident,' says Congress presidential candidate Shashi Tharoor

“I'm 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," says Tharoor.

I'm 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 & establishment were overwhelmingly with the other candidate: Congress presidential candidate Shashi Tharoor, at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala pic.twitter.com/pEENIU1tBI— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2022

10:22 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

Tharoor extends best wishes to rival contender Kharge

Spoke to Mallikarjun @kharge this morning to wish him well & to reaffirm my respect for him & our shared devotion to the success of @incIndia.— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) October 17, 2022

10:20 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

Kharge vs Tharoor as Cong set for non-Gandhi president after 24 years

Senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor will face-off in an electoral contest on Monday for the post of AICC chief, as the party gets set to have a non-Gandhi president in more than 24 years.

Over 9,000 Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates form the electoral college to pick the party chief in a secret ballot.

While party chief Sonia Gandhi and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are expected to vote at the AICC headquarters here, Rahul Gandhi will be voting at the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' campsite in Karnataka's Sanganakallu in Ballari along with around 40 other 'Bharat Yatris' who are PCC delegates.

PTI

10:18 (IST)

Congress President Election LIVE  

Congress presidential polls: Voting begins in Kharge vs Tharoor contest

Voting began on Monday in the Congress presidential polls as senior leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor face-off for the post of AICC chief.

Over 9,000 Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates form the electoral college to pick the party chief in a secret ballot.

Voting began at 10 am at the AICC headquarters here and at party's polling booths in state offices across the country.

Veteran Congress leader P Chidambaram was the first to cast his vote at the AICC headquarters here, sources said.

PTI