`He is BHISHMA PITAMAH of Congress, but I won`t pull out`: Shashi Tharoor on contest with Mallikarjun Kharge

Shashi Tharoor Vs Mallikarjun Kharge: Kerala Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has welcomed party veteran Mallikarjun Kharge`s nomination but said that he won`t pull out of the presidential race now. He also called Mallikarjun Kharge the `Bhishma Pitamah` of Congress and a respected leader.

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader and Kerala MP Shashi Tharoor, who on Friday filed his nomination for the post of Congress President at the AICC office, said that he has great respect for party veteran Mallikarjun Kharge who is also contesting the presidential election. Speaking to reporters after filing his nomination, Tharoor said, “Mallikarjun Kharge Ji is the Bhishma Pitamah of Congress, no disrespect to him. I will represent my ideas.”

“(LoP Mallikarjun) Kharge Ji's nomination is welcomed. Many candidates are needed for the party's benefit... I won't pull out of Congress President Election as I won't let down workers from around the country who've gone out of their ways to extend their support to me,” Tharoor said.

Tharoor said that 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. 

Earlier today, the Thiruvananthapuram MP submitted his papers to the party's central election authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry at his office here at the AICC headquarters. 

Amid the sound of drumbeats and fanfare, Shashi Tharoor made an entry at the party office. Earlier in the morning, he visited Rajghat to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi ahead of filing his nomination papers for the party's presidential poll.

Meanwhile, Mallikarjun Kharge too filed his nomination for the post of party president. His 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 the proposers for Kharge's candidature. Kharge is one of the most experienced persons in the party and is a Dalit leader too, Tewari said. Congress leader Singh on Friday announced that he will not contest the party president's election and would instead propose the candidature of his senior Kharge.

Friday is the last day for filing nominations for the top party post.