Ritika
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is going to contest the election of Congress President. Here, the activities of Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor are also showing signs of claim. At present, the contest for the top post of the party seems to be between these two leaders. The nomination process is starting in the party from Saturday, which will continue till September 30.
On October 17, the match could be Tharoor vs Gehlot. If we look in the party circles, then there are 4 reasons, which show that the Chief Minister of Rajasthan may have the upper hand in front of the Kerala MP.
Nehru-Gandhi family loyalists
The 71-year-old leader is considered close to the Gandhi-Nehru family, who stand with Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi to discuss important issues. In the National Herald case too, when the Congress demonstrated on the streets, Gehlot was seen in the crowd. The party has also appointed him as observer of Gujarat. Apart from this, it is also being said that Gandhi family has asked him to stake claim for the post of president.
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Congress stalwarts
Gehlot’s political journey is more than 4 decades old. During this he has played roles at the state as well as national level. Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi made him a Union Minister in the 70s. He is also the General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee. Whereas, Tharoor joined the party in 2009. Since then he has been a Lok Sabha member from Thiruvananthapuram seat. He has been the President of All India Professionals Congress (AIPC).
Administration experience
Tharoor was Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs from May 2009 to April 2010 and held this responsibility in the Department of Human Resources from October 2012 to May 2014. The Kerala MP, author of more than 20 books, held various positions in the United Nations for nearly 30 years. Whereas, Gehlot is currently the Chief Minister of Rajasthan. Earlier, he had also held this post in 1998-2003, 2008-2013. Apart from this, he was a Union Minister in the governments of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and PV Narasimha Rao.
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According to media reports, there were allegations against Tharoor that he had misused the post of minister to buy shares in the IPL. Due to these allegations, he had to resign from the post of minister in the year 2010. In 2014, his wife died under mysterious circumstances and Tharoor was accused of abetting her suicide. However, he was acquitted of all charges in the year 2021. In contrast, Gehlot has been seen avoiding controversies in a political career spanning more than four decades.
