NEW DELHI: The frontrunner to succeed Sonia Gandhi as Congress president, Mallikarjun Kharge, has kept away from the Bharat Jodo Yatra in his home state of Karnataka as the party has chosen to avoid signals that may be seen as skewing the presidential election in favour of any candidate. Shashi Tharoor is taking on Kharge in the internal election in which voting will take place on October 17.
Sources said Kharge was in Mandya on October 6 when Sonia joined the Yatra. But he was conveyed a message at the insistence of Rahul Gandhi, and he stayed away. He is also likely to skip the rest of the Yatra in the state. Meanwhile, Congress sources said NCP president Sharad Pawar and daughter Supriya Sule may be on the front-lines to welcome the nationwide foot march when it enters Maharashtra on November 9.
Sources said Kharge was in Mandya on October 6 when Sonia joined the Yatra. But he was conveyed a message at the insistence of Rahul Gandhi, and he stayed away. He is also likely to skip the rest of the Yatra in the state. Meanwhile, Congress sources said NCP president Sharad Pawar and daughter Supriya Sule may be on the front-lines to welcome the nationwide foot march when it enters Maharashtra on November 9.
