Page 13 - Shashi Tharoor

I appreciate that I'm seen as the underdog in Congress election: Tharoor

Political career spent defending the values of inclusive India, allegations of disloyalty to Nehru Gandhi family malicious: Congress MP

Will call for CWC elections if elected Congress chief: Shashi Tharoor

Congress presidential candidate Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday asserted that if he becomes the AICC chief, he would fully implement the party's existing constitution which requires CWC elections and revival of the parliamentary board that has been dormant for a quarter-century. In an interview with PTI, Tharoor also said the Congress must decentralise authority and truly empower the grassroots office-bearers of the party. The Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram said he would fully implement the Udaipur Declaration which was unanimously agreed at the party's Chintan Shivir earlier this year. Asked about his plans for the party if he wins the electoral contest against Mallikarjun Kharge for the top post, the former Union minister said, "I think an important first step would be to call for elections to the Working Committee to spread our inner-party democracy even further." "I am going to implement fully the existing Constitution, which requires CWC elections and the revival of the ...

Cong president poll: Kharge to visit Bhopal today, Tharoor on Oct 14

Veteran Congress leader and party's presidential poll candidate Mallikarjun Kharge will visit the state capital today as part of his campaign for the October 17 election

Shashi Tharoor to campaign in Gujarat today for Congress presidential poll

Congress presidential election candidate Shashi Tharoor will be in Gujarat on Wednesday to campaign for the upcoming poll to the top party post. Besides Congress MP Tharoor, veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge is also in the race for the party president's post, the election for which is scheduled on October 17. The result will be announced on October 19. Tharoor will begin his Gujarat visit by paying tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad on Wednesday afternoon. Thereafter, he will interact with Congress delegates and media, as per the schedule shared by the party. Kharge was in Gujarat last week to campaign for the Congress president post election. He had also paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at the Sabarmati Ashram before meeting party delegates.

Cong Prez candidate Tharoor calls himself a catalyst of change in party

Emphasizing the need to win the trust of the voters again, Tharoor said to revive the party's presence in the country, he could act as a catalyst of change for the grand old party

Contest with Tharoor is for betterment of country and Congress: Kharge

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said his contest with Shashi Tharoor for the post of party president was aimed at putting forth their viewpoints for the betterment of the country and the party. Kharge said this during an interaction with party delegates at Congress office here, where he sought their support for the AICC presidential election. This is an internal election. It is like two brothers at home, who are not fighting, but placing their points of view and trying to persuade each other, he said. The Congress party veteran said the election campaign was not about what a particular candidate will do if he becomes the president of the party, but what they can do together. My belief is... What I will do is not the question. The question is what we both will do together for the country and for the party, this is important. Let us not talk about whether I will do this or that, or talk about someone else. How will you (party workers) and me together make the party ...

Both poll contenders people of stature, neither can be controlled: Rahul

As Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor fight it out for the Congress chief's post, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday described both as people of stature and understanding, and asserted that it was insulting to suggest that either of them can be remote-controlled by the Gandhi family as party president. Addressing a press conference here during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, he said lakhs of people have joined the yatra as they are tired of the type of politics being done under the BJP and the prevailing unemployment, price rise and economic inequality. A day after Gautam Adani pledged huge investments in Rajasthan, Gandhi, who has often accused the Modi government of favouring the industrialist, said the Congress government in the state has not given any preferential treatment to the businessman, and asserted that he is not against corporates but monopolies. Asked about criticism from certain quarters that the next Congress president could be remote-controlled by the Gandhi family, the former part

'Tharoor's appeal goes beyond Congress, party needs reformist thinking'

Voicing strong support for Shashi Tharoor in the Congress presidential poll, party MP Karti Chidambaram on Saturday said the former diplomat's pragmatic modernism coupled with his appeal beyond the party is crucial to fight against the BJP's "divisive politics". Chidambaram also asserted that business as usual will not help the Congress and there is an urgent need for reformist thinking in the party. "I support Shashi Tharoor for Congress President. His pragmatic modernism coupled with his appeal beyond the party, is crucial to fight BJP's divisive politics," the MP from Tamil Nadu's Sivaganga said. "Status quo and business as usual won't help our party. There's an urgent need for reformist thinking in our party," said Chidambaram, who was among those who signed Tharoor's nomination forms for the Congress presidential polls as proposers. Responding to a social media user who claimed that Tharoor is everything that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) propagates as "English-enabl

Calling Kharge or Tharoor remote control is insulting, says Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has countered BJP on party presidential polls and said that both the contestants have statures of their own

Tharoor dismisses talk of withdrawing from Congress president poll race

Congress presidential polls candidate Shashi Tharoor on Saturday dismissed talk of him withdrawing from the election, asserting that he never backs down from a challenge and "it is a fight to the finish". Tharoor, who has been aggressively campaigning in the polls, also asserted that it was a "friendly contest" within the party that was taking place and he is here to stay the course. Tharoor is set to take on Mallikarjun Kharge in the polls. "There are rumours going around attributed to sources in Delhi that I am withdrawing (from the polls) today. Let me assure you, I don't withdraw from a challenge, never have all my life, never will," the MP from Thiruvnathapuram said in a video message on Twitter. "This is a struggle, it is a friendly contest within the party, but it is a fight to the finish and I am here to stay the course. Please come and vote on October 17. For me, 'Think tomorrow, think Tharoor'," Tharoor said. His remarks come on the last date for the withdrawal of ...

In election manifesto, Tharoor pitches for limiting state chiefs' term

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Thursday favoured limiting the term of office for state presidents in the party and said Congress should be revived and re-energised to take on BJP in the 2024 general elections. Denying rumours that he may opt out of the presidential race due to meagre support, Tharoor said he was very much in the fray and has been receiving support from various quarters. "My message is revive the party, re-energise it, empower workers, decentralise authority and be in touch with the people. This, I believe will make Congress politically fit to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his BJP in the 2024 (general) election," Tharoor said during his interaction with media persons at Sathyamurthy Bhavan, the Congress state headquarters. Stating that he has respect and great regards for party veteran Mallikarjun Kharge, Tharoor said the contest was friendly based on different approaches to face the BJP and not ideological, as both hailed from the same party. "We need

Want Congress to be party of young India, says MP Shashi Tharoor

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, in the race for the top position in the party, on Thursday said he wanted to change Congress into the party of young India and that support for his presidential candidature is swelling by the day. The Thiruvananthapuram MP, on a brief campaign in Chennai, said how his party viewed Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra and the presidential poll, mattered most and not what others outside felt. "It's what the Congress party looks at the Bharat Jodo Yatra and its presidency that matters and not the opposition criticism... It is a challenging election for the delegates because there's only one physical location to hold the election, that's PCC headquarters. I am still confident that we will see a good turnout," he said. Speaking to reporters after paying floral tributes to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Kamaraj here, Tharoor said he was getting enormous amount of feedback from ordinary party workers, especially the ...

Rahul was asked to request me to withdraw from Cong prez poll: Tharoor

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was asked by some party leaders to seek withdrawal of Shashi Tharoor's candidature, the Thiruvananthapuram MP, who has made an aggressive bid to its top post, claimed here on Tuesday. Tharoor, who is in Kerala as part of the poll campaign, told reporters here that Gandhi said he will not ask the former to withdraw as a contest would benefit the grand old party. "He reminded me that he has been saying so for the past 10 years that there should be a contest for the party chief's post. "He also told me that some persons have asked him to request me to withdraw my candidature. He told me he will not do so. He said I should not withdraw and that I should contest in the election," the Thiruvananthapuram MP said. Earlier in the day, he said that he never expected big leaders to support him and does not expect it even now, but at the same time he needs everyone's backing. The statement came in the wake of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) preside

Tharoor picks 'Reinvent Cong' slogan, rules out differences with Kharge

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Monday asserted that a reimagined party is needed to take on the BJP, while seeking support from party electors for his candidacy to the post of party chief. Tharoor, who is canvassing for his candidature among party delegates, ruled out ideological difference with veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge, who is also in the presidential race. "Let me make clear that I agree with @kharge ji that all of us in @incIndia wish to take on the BJP rather than each other. There is no ideological difference between us. The choice for our voting colleagues Oct 17 is only on how to do it most effectively," Tharoor said in a tweet. His remarks comes a day after Kharge said he conveyed to Tharoor that a consensus candidate would be better, but the Lok Sabha MP insisted on a contest for the "sake of democracy". Tharoor, who is in Hyderabad in connection with his campaign for Congress presidential poll, said he has "enormous" respect for his rival Kharge. "I believe we

Tharoor highlights need for 'renewed, reinvigorated' Cong to take on BJP

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said that with two consecutive losses in the LS elections, there is a need for a "renewed and reinvigorated" party to take on the challenge of the ruling BJP at Centre

Congress president's election: Uncertain times ahead for the party

The election of Kharge as Congress president is almost certain. From here on, if the Congress does not improve its poor electoral performance, a challenge could emerge to the Gandhi family leadership

Told Tharoor better to have consensus candidate: Mallikarjun Kharge

Nominee for the Congress president post Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said he told fellow contender Shashi Tharoor that it would be better to have a consensus candidate, but the Lok Sabha MP insisted on a contest for the "sake of democracy". Kharge said if he becomes the party chief, he will consult the Gandhi family and other senior leaders and implement the good things suggested by them, even as he rejected claims that he was the "official candidate" backed by the Gandhis. Launching his Congress presidential poll campaign with a press conference at his residence here, 80-year-old Kharge said there is no G-23 camp now and all those leaders want to fight unitedly against the RSS-BJP and therefore are supporting him. Several dissident leaders such as Bhupinder Hooda, Anand Sharma, Manish Tewari and Prithviraj Chavan of the group of 23, which had written to party chief Sonia Gandhi in 2020 for large scale organisational reform, have put their weight behind Kharge by becoming his ...

Open to public debate between Cong prez poll candidates: Shashi Tharoor

Set for an electoral face-off with Congress veteran Mallikarjun Kharge for the AICC chief's post, Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said he would be open to the idea of a public debate between the candidates as it would evoke people's interest in the party in a manner similar to the recent British Conservative Party leadership race. He also said the Nehru-Gandhi family has held and will always hold a special place in the hearts of Congress party members. In an interview with PTI, Tharoor said the answer to the Congress' current challenges lies in a combination of effective leadership and organisational reforms. Kharge and Tharoor were left in the fray in the Congress presidential poll after former Jharkhand minister K N Tripathi's nomination was rejected on Saturday. Talking about what he brings to the table, Tharoor said, "I have a proven and credible track record in leading at the highest levels of organisations, whether it has been at the UN, where, as the under-secretary ..

Congress President polls: Gehlot says Tharoor belongs to elite class

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday said veteran party leader Mallikarjun Kharge has the experience to strengthen the Congress and would emerge as a clear winner in the party presidential poll, while his rival in the race Shashi Tharoor belongs to the "elite class". Kharge has a long political experience. He has a clean heart, he comes from the Dalit community and (Kharge contesting election) is being welcomed everywhere, he told reporters after paying tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at the secretariat here. Gehlot, one of the proposers of Kharge, said Tharoor is also a good man and has good thoughts but he is from the elite class. "Tharoor is a class apart; he is from elite class but the kind of experience which is needed to strengthen the party at booth, block and district levels, that is with Kharge and cannot be compared to Shashi Tharoor," he said "Therefore, it will naturally be a one-sided contest for Kharge, he said. Kharge and Tharoor are in a direct contest for th

Tharoor likely to make way for Shinde faction Sena MP as IT panel chief

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor will likely make way for Shinde faction Sena MP as IT panel chief