AICC poll: 501 out of 503 Karnataka Congress votes cast

Congress leaders expressed confidence that party veteran Mallikarjun Kharge would become the AICC president for which 501 out of 503 delegates from the state voted on Monday.

“Out of 503, only two could not vote,” Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar said.

According to sources, Nivedith Alva and Prashanth Deshpande were not available to cast their votes.

Senior leader K Rahman Khan, who is down with Covid, authorized the election officer to cast the vote on his behalf, Shivakumar said.

Former AICC president Rahul Gandhi voted at the Bharat Jodo Yatra camp site in Sanganakallu, Ballari, along with party leaders D K Suresh, B V Srinivas, J S Anjaneyulu and B Nagendra.

Speaking to reporters after casting his vote, Kharge said he would not comment until after the election result on October 19. “Let’s see what happens in the ballot box,” he said, when asked about state leaders favouring him for the top post.

Earlier in the day, Kharge said he spoke to his opponent Shashi Tharoor and wished him. “...both of us are contesting to strengthen Congress to build a stronger & better nation for the future generations,” Kharge said in a tweet.

Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah said Kharge would win by a huge margin. “Kharge is a senior leader who has been loyal to the Congress for 50 years. I’m confident that all votes in Karnataka would be cast in his favour,” he said.

Slamming the BJP for criticising the AICC presidential election, Siddaramaiah said: “The BJP has no election at all. Congress believes in internal democracy. The BJP has no belief in democracy. Was there a democratic process followed in choosing Basavaraj Bommai as CM? Was Nalin Kumar Kateel elected as BJP state president?”

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi cast his vote at the Sangakal camp of Bharato Jodo Yatra, on the outskirts of Ballari.

The container used for the Yatra was converted into a makeshift polling booth.