Congress prez poll: Mistry slams Tharoor's ‘uneven playing field’ remark

Shashi Tharoor, who is contesting for the Congress president’s post against party colleague Mallikarjun Kharge, had told a news channel last week there were indications of an “uneven playing field”, adding that some Congress leaders were under pressure to back the Rajya Sabha MP.

Congress' central election authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry said on Wednesday that the poll panel is going ahead with the process of conducting free and fair voting for the Congress president’s post, scheduled to be held on October 17.

Congress' central election authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry. (Sanchit Khanna/HT file photo)

He also said allegations of “uneven playing field”, raised by candidate Shashi Tharoor, are false and if any such issue is drawn to the authorities’ attention, it will be looked into.

Tharoor, who is contesting for the Congress president’s post against party colleague Mallikarjun Kharge, had told a news channel last week there were indications of an “uneven playing field”, adding that some Congress leaders were under pressure to back the Rajya Sabha MP.

Mistry said the allegations were “absolutely false”. “I've no answer to allegations levelled before the media but if someone draws our attention to any wrongdoing, we'll rectify it,” Mistry was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

“But we don't want to give any such chances. What can we do if someone levels allegations? We cannot stop them. As far as we are concerned, we are going ahead with the process of conducting a free and fair election,” he added.

Earlier, Kharge said, “The delegates are coming on their own. Should I say no to them? If you are popular, people know you, and delegates will come. Our campaigners are very strong, they are doing it.”

Both Tharoor and Kharge filed their nominations for the Congress presidential election on September 30. Tharoor welcomed Kharge's move to file nomination and said that many candidates were needed for the Congress' benefit.

“He (Mallikarjun Kharge) is Bhishma Pitamah (father figure) of the Congress. No disrespect to him. I will represent my ideas,” Tharoor told reporters on September 30.