Polling is underway at Congress Bhavan in Kohima where 43 Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates are voting to elect either Shashi Tharoor or Mallikarjun Kharge as the president of All India Congress Committee (AICC).

Voting began at 10am and will be closed at 4pm.

PRO Dr Thokchom Meinya and APRO Manoj Chauhan are present at the headquarter of Nagaland Congress to oversee the election process and ensure that it is conducted in a free and fair manner.

PCC president K Therie were among the earliest members to cast ballots in 36th polling booth. Bobby Panicker, working president, NPCC and G K Zhimomi vice president, NPCC also cast their votes.

The ballot boxes will be taken to New Delhi tomorrow for counting which is scheduled for 19 October. The result of the election will be declared on the same day.

Also read: Kharge and Tharoor face-off today for Congress party president post

Meanwhile in New Delhi, Congress’ central election authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry on Monday said he is satisfied with the party’s presidential polls process, and asserted that the elections are “free, fair and transparent”.

Asked about the polling going on at the 68 polling booths the party has set up for the polls, Mistry told PTI, “It is going quite smoothly everywhere, we don’t have any kind of adverse information from anywhere. Even old delegates are standing in queue to cast their vote, there is a lot of enthusiasm in delegates to cast their vote.”

Rahul Gandhi queuing with other PCC members to cast vote for the president of Indian National Congress on 17 October 2022. (Photo: @INCNagaland/ Twitter)

Mistry said he hopes for a good turnout in the polling as the party’s poll body has appealed to the electors to vote. “Whoever they may choose, but they should vote,” he added.

Asked if he was satisfied with the polls process, Mistry answered in the affirmative and said, “It is free, fair and transparent, and everything is open for media”.

He said he has received no complaints during the polling process.

“The ballot boxes will arrive here by Tuesday evening…whenever the counting is over on October 19, we will declare the result,” he said.

Asked about the importance of polls, Mistry said election used to take in every five years, but the last few ones were unanimous so naturally there was no need to hold polls.

“But now since there are two candidates, we have to hold an election,” he said, adding that it is not a new thing in the Congress.

Also read: Congress’ central election authority issues notification for AICC president polls

Additional inputs by PTI.