Cong prez poll: No animosity with Kharge, says Tharoor

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor who is contesting for the post of party president -- election for which is scheduled to be held on October 17, on Saturday said there was no animosity with veteran party colleague Mallikarjun Kharge against whom he is pitted for the top party post.

"Kharge sir is my leader too. We are not enemies. I am fighting to bring change in the Congress party," he said here while interacting with the mediapersons.

Advocating for a change in the Congress party, he said: "I will bring elections to Congress working committee and there will be a change in the parliamentary board in the party too."

On many senior Congress leaders not attending Tharoor's campaign ahead of the party's presidential polls, he said: "I did not mind this... I have got amazing support from the younger leaders of the party."

The Congress leader also denied having any clashes with the Gandhi family regarding the party's presidential election.

"People who supported me are not rebels or against the Gandhis. This is a completely wrong notion. The Gandhis are always with the Congress... and so are we. We are contesting the election with the spirit that whoever wins this election, it will be a victory of the Congress party," he added.

Tharoor also asserted that the new Congress president should focus on reaching out to other parties for the next Lok Sabha election.

He said: "Our test will be in creating a new alliance to challenge the BJP."

The Congress leader also said that if he is elected to the top post in Congress, his another priority will be to stop the party leaders from quitting the grand old party and joining the BJP.

"I feel sad at times to lose party leaders to BJP. I will look into the matter if elected," he added