At a time when the country and the Congress party are going through various crises, Mallikarjun Kharge, with his vast political experience and leadership skills, would be the most eminent senior Congressman to head the party, former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said in a statement here.
As the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha and as a State Minister in Karnataka, he had displayed amazing efficiency in conducting organisational affairs and in taking forward all party members together. At the Centre too, he had been able to provide valuable leadership in ensuring a unified front of all the Opposition parties.
The fact that there is an open contest for the Congress party’s presidentship was a pronouncement of the great democratic tradition of the Congress. A healthy contest to the top post would only strengthen the party, Mr. Chandy said.
Congress leader and former MLA V.S. Sivakumar said he endorsed the candidature of Mr. Kharge.