Congress President polls: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who is one of the leading contestants for the Congress Presidential polls, said that he welcomes Mallikarjun Kharge's nomination to contest for Congress's top post. Shashi Tharoor will file his nomination at 12.15 pm.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor will file his nominations for the upcoming party president election on Friday, the last day of the process. The leader also said there is no "no rivalry" among party leaders, who are in the fray adding that it is a "friendly contest".
"We all share the same ideology, values and ideals. We want the party to be strengthened. It is a friendly contest, no rivalry," Tharoor said while speaking to the reporters here today.
"I'm going to be filing at noon. You'll see me at 24, Akbar Road," the Thiruvananthapuram MP said. When asked about the candidature of senior party leader Mallikarjun Kharge, who according to sources will be in the contest, Tharoor said that more candidates for contesting the better it will be for the party.
"I only see speculation (of Kharge contesting). He's also a very respected colleague, we worked together in Lok Sabha. It will be good to have more people in the fray. From the beginning, I have said, the more candidates, the better," Tharoor said.
A tent has been set up in the lawns of the AICC headquarters here and party leaders can file their nomination papers between 11 am and 3 pm.
Singh met Tharoor on Thursday and the latter said they agreed that theirs is "not a battle between rivals but a friendly contest" among colleagues.
Senior party leader Mallikarjun Kharge is also likely to enter the contest and before that meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced on Thursday that he will not contest the Congress presidential election as he took moral responsibility for the political crisis in the state.
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