Senior Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor and Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday filed their nominations for the post of Congress president at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi. The papers were submitted to the party’s central election authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry.

Kharge’s candidature was proposed by party leaders Ashok Gehlot, Digvijaya Singh, Pramod Tiwari, PL Punia, AK Antony, Pawan Kumar Bansal and Mukul Wasnik. G23 leaders Anand Sharma and Manish Tewari are also proposers of the experienced politician from Karnataka.

Ahead of filing his nomination papers for the party’s presidential poll, Shashi Tharoor visited Rajghat in the morning and paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi.

Later, in an exclusive interview with PTI, he has been told by the Gandhi family repeatedly that they are “neither directly nor indirectly” backing anyone and that he remains convinced of the party’s commitment towards ensuring that these elections take place in a free and fair manner.

Thiruvananthapuram MP said he believes that a fresh leader, who has not been “jaded by being entrenched within the current system for too long”, could energise the party and also appeal to more voters than the Congress managed to during the last few elections.

The 66-year-old leader also said he hopes that the Gandhi family will recognise that they are and remain the foundational pillar of the Congress, “our moral conscience and ultimate guiding spirit”.

They cannot and must not withdraw from that role, whatever the formal designations they choose to retain, Tharoor said.

Tharoor said whosoever is elected must develop and implement a roadmap that will allow the party to find a way to appeal beyond the 19 per cent of the electorate that voted for the party in both 2014 and 2019.

“The party has to appeal to those who did not vote for it in those two elections and drifted away to the BJP, most of whom did so for reasons other than Hindutva,” he said.

Tharoor acknowledged that he is the underdog in the race, but he added “sometimes one must have the courage of one’s convictions to do the right thing, regardless of the likely outcome.”

Polling will take place on 17 October and the result will be announced on 19 October.

I have just submitted my nomination papers as a candidate for the presidential election of @incindia. It is a privilege to serve the only party in India with an open democratic process to choose its leader. Greatly appreciate Soniaji’s guidance&vision.#ThinkTomorrowThinkTharoor pic.twitter.com/4HM4Xq3XIO

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) September 30, 2022