‘Rumours to defame Congress, Sonia Gandhi and me’: Kharge on speculation that he was asked to contest prez polls

New Delhi: Congress presidential nominee and veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday clarified that interim chief Sonia Gandhi suggesting his name for the party president’s post was nothing but a rumour and that he had never claimed that anyone from the Gandhi family has asked him to contest the election.

“Sonia Gandhi suggesting my name for the president’s position is all a rumour, I have never said this. She has clearly stated that no-one from the Gandhi family will be a part of the election nor support any candidate,” Kharge said responding to speculation just days ahead of the Congress presidential poll.

The election for the Congress chief’s post will be held on 17 October at all Congress party offices across the country and the results will be declared at the AICC headquarters in the national capital on 19 October.

“Someone has spread this rumour to defame the Congress party, Sonia Gandhi and me. She has clearly stated that she will not participate in the party elections nor will she come out in support of any candidate,” Kharge said on Tuesday.

“After the Gandhi family refused to contest the election for the post of Congress president, I decided to contest this election after consulting my well-wishers,” he said after meeting members of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC). “I decided to contest the election to strengthen the Congress and to save its ideology,” Kharge said, adding he was meeting more than 9,000 members of his party across the country and seeking their support.

Despite attracting criticism for not encouraging younger people to contest since the 75-year-old Sonia Gandhi would now possibly hand over the mantle to the 80-year-old veteran Congress leader, Kharge said that he was confident that he would win the election for the post of Congress president.

Former diplomat and Union minister Shashi Tharoor is the other contender in the fray for the post of the party chief.

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