A total of 29 out of 31 Pradesh Congress Committee delegates in Goa cast their votes on Monday in organizational polls to elect a new party president.
Congress veteran Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha MP from Kerala Shashi Tharoor are in the fray for the top party post and the poll result will be announced on October 19.
A senior party leader said two delegates of the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) were absent during the voting.
“Thirty-one representatives (delegates) from different blocks were eligible to vote in today's elections. Of these, 29 cast their ballot,” he said.
GPCC President Amit Patkar was amongst the early voters at the Goa Congress headquarters in Panaji where polling took place. The voting took place between 10 am and 4 pm.
He later said the Congress, where the election for the top party post was held after more than two decades, will emerge stronger under its new national president.
Patkar tweeted, “Great feeling to cast my vote as the delegate of @INCGoa from Curchorem constituency for the election of President of @INCIndia. I am sure that the Congress party will emerge stronger under the new National President across India.”
The election took place through a secret ballot and sealed boxes from all over the country will be transported to New Delhi where counting will take place on Wednesday.
Over 9,000 Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates formed the electoral college to pick the next party president, who will replace outgoing chief Sonia Gandhi.
(Inputs from PTI)
