Leaders like Kharge can't bring change: Shashi Tharoor

New Delhi, Oct 02: Kerala MP Shashi Tharoor, who is contesting Congress presidential poll, said that his opponent and senior party leader Mallikarjun Kharge cannot bring changes to the party.

Addressing party workers at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial in Nagpur, Tharoor claimed that he represents the change in the party. "We are not enemies, it's not war. Some people are saying that Kharge Ji is a senior leader, and why don't I get out of the race for him? I respect Kharge Ji, but it's a poll for our party's future. There are differences in the way we want to take the party forward," ANI quoted the Congress MP as saying.

He added, "Kharge Ji is a part of our leadership, and other than the Gandhi family he is among the top three leaders of the Congress party. But leaders like him can't bring change and will continue the existing system. I will bring the change as per the expectations of party workers,"

On his turn, Kharge, at a press conference, said that he told Tharoor that it would be better to have a consensus candidate, but the latter insisted on a contest for the "sake of democracy".

On asking about Shashi Tharoor's remarks that Kharge is a candidate of continuity and status quo, the Rajya Sabha MP said, "He (Tharoor) may have his views...The status quo and reforms he talks of will be decided by the 9,300-odd delegates, after that a committee will be formed (Congress Working Committee). The committee as a whole will decide all policy matters that will be formulated by consensus and we will implement that."

"It will not be done by one person. For me the key word is 'Hum (We)' instead of 'main (Me). We will decide together and wherever there are shortcomings, we will take action," he said..
The Congress leader, who hails from Karnataka, said he will consult the Gandhi family and senior leaders on key issues if he is elected as the party president. He also stated that he would implement the good suggestions from them while rejecting claims that he was the "official candidate" backed by the Gandhis.

The polling for the Congress President post, if needed, will be held on October 17. The counting of votes will be taken up on October 19 and the results will be declared the same day. More than 9,000 Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates will vote in the poll.