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

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

#WATCH | "I have been waiting for a long time for this thing," says Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on the party's presidential election pic.twitter.com/9giL5DeOEX

— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2022

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.

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

Kharge is considered the favourite 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”.

Tharoor will cast his vote at the Kerala Congress headquarters at Thiruvananthapuram, while Kharge will do so at the Karnataka Congress office in Bengaluru.

Ahead of the polling, Kharge had said he would have no shame in taking the advice and support of the Gandhi family in running the party affairs, in case he becomes its president, as they have struggled and put their strength for its growth. The veteran leader had said he is the “delegates’ candidate” in these polls.

Tharoor on his part had taken a veiled dig at some senior leaders supporting Kharge, saying some colleagues were “indulging in ‘netagiri’ and telling party workers” that they know whom Sonia Gandhi wants elected.

If anyone has “fear or doubt” in their mind, the party has made it clear that it will be a secret ballot, he had said in Lucknow on Sunday and urged the Congress delegates to listen to their hearts while voting to elect the new party president.

(With inputs from agencies)

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