Congress president polls to use secret ballot; CEA insists level playing field for Kharge, Tharoor

The ballot boxes that are sealed after voting in states would be transported to Delhi and kept in a strong room at AICC headquarters, to be opened on counting day

Congress presidential polls will be held by a secret ballot and counting will be done by mixing votes from all states, party's Central Election Authority Chairperson Madhusudan Mistry said on Wednesday.

Insisting that the election authority has ensured a level playing field for both candidates Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor, Mistry said that as far as the level playing field is concerned,they have tried their level best to see to it that it gets implemented.

At a press conference, he also displayed the ballot boxes and ballot paper that will be used for the October 17 polls.

The ballot boxes that are sealed after voting in states would be transported to Delhi and kept in a strong room at AICC headquarters. It will be opened on October 19, the day of counting, and the ballot papers will be mixed before counting starts.

Read | If elected Cong chief, will call for CWC polls: Tharoor

Queried about some delegates claiming that they are scared that siding with a particular candidate may go against them, Mistry said, "I am surprised that political workers are afraid. I have been saying repeatedly that it is a secret ballot. Who voted for whom is not going to be known. No one would get to know how many votes were received from which state. What bigger assurance can there be?"

If something specific is brought to his knowledge, he said it will be rectified. Mistry said he has received one complaint related to the election but refused to provide details saying it is an internal election.

"We have our own way of dealing with things, we don't want to disclose it," he said when asked what action was taken on a complaint given by Tharoor.

He also said phone numbers of around 300 voters which were not in the list have been given to Tharoor. A Tharoor representative, who was present during the press conference, was heard saying that they were "more than satisfied" when Mistry asked them about the CEA's actions.