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Shashi Tharoor, one of the two candidates in the fray for the October 17 election for the post of Congress President, the country's oldest political party, said on Friday that the party's current president Sonia Gandhi had told him, You are most welcome for..." And since his family will remain neutral, there will be no 'official candidate' against him (Shashi Tharoor).

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has asserted that the dissidents group is not the G-23 candidate in the elections to be held for the first time in two decades for the post of Congress President.

In a letter to Sonia Gandhi in the year 2020, Shashi Tharoor said about not discussing his candidature specifically with the group of dissidents demanding radical changes in the party, or G-23, said, "Discussed with her personally Other than doing I didn't feel the need to talk to my colleagues... I don't think there really exists an organization like the G-23 outside of the media's imagination..." He also said, "I have the support of 9,000 people. I am not only 23... I am not a G-23 candidate..."

Shashi Tharoor said that when he met Sonia Gandhi, and told her about her desire to contest, Sonia did not try to discourage him.

In a conversation with NDTV, Shashi Tharoor said, "If they had said why do you want to contest elections, we always work with consensus, leave it to us, we will find the right person... but nothing like this happened." ... rather on the contrary, he did the exact opposite... He said, 'We believe that elections will be beneficial to the party... If you want to contest, you are most welcome...'"

Shashi Tharoor said, "I had asked Sonia Gandhi if there would be any official candidate, then Sonia had said that there would be no official candidate, as far as I am concerned, my entire family will be absolutely neutral... I have the same conversation Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi too, and the same message reached me... When Digvijay Singh went and met Sonia Gandhi, he was also given the same message..."

The Congress MP said his candidature was not "opposition of anyone" but a competition among party allies.

Responding to critics who said whether he was the right person for the post of president and based on his experience in politics, he said, "Fourteen years of waqf contribution, and loyalty to the party and its ideals and beliefs." enough to prove it... need..."

Shashi Tharoor also spoke openly on this big question for any candidate contesting for the post of Congress President - will that candidate remain as an elephant puppet of the Gandhi family...?

Shashi Tharoor said, "When we reach there, we will think about it... I definitely believe that Gandhi family's place in Congress family, their unending relationship with party's DNA is very great.. There is no question of separating myself from him and his legacy... If he doesn't want to be actively involved, I don't understand where this fear (of being driven by him) comes from. was born..."

Shashi Tharoor on Rahul Gandhi's role when a non-Gandhi becomes party president said, "There is no question on the appeal of he (Rahul Gandhi) or the rest of the Gandhi family to the voting public... It would be utter foolishness not to use such power for... Also, it is also true that he has decided not to continue as Congress chief... To be honest, if he wanted to be the president, So in a pinch, I could have done this only yesterday..."

It has been said that Rahul Gandhi is still seen as the real chief.

So will the 2024 Lok Sabha elections be contested by making Rahul Gandhi the only face despite seeing the party's results in two general elections?

And would it be wise to do so?

"You're dragging me down a path that hasn't even been built yet... Let's talk about that... In 2024, I think a number of factors will have to be taken into account, including the new opposition Possibility of alliance is also included... there may be contenders in other parties too, our party will have any face for PM post or not... whether any face will be made for PM post or not... these Everything has to be considered, including the issue of the Gandhi family..."