Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K Sudhakaran, who openly supported Mallikarjun Kharge for the post of party president, on Wednesday was full of praise for the manner in which Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor contested in the election.
Sudhakaran, while speaking to reporters said Tharoor contested by maintaining high democratic principles, committed no wrongs by words or action while campaigning for the post.
He said that he firmly believes that "the party would give him the position he deserves".
Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh was of the view that there was nothing special about Tharoor winning around 1,000 votes out of the over 9,000 cast. "I do not see what is the big deal about it," he told reporters.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan congratulated Kharge on the win and said that when two key Congress leaders contested, only one could have won.
Satheesan in a statement said Tharoor will go ahead with activities to strengthen the party and will give his full cooperation to Kharge, the new party chief.
The Congress on Wednesday elected Kharge as its president, the first non-Gandhi to head the party in 24 years.
Kharge got 7,897 votes and Tharoor 1,072 votes, while 416 votes were declared invalid, Congress' central election authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry said at a press conference at the AICC headquarters in Delhi. PTI