Mistry hits back Tharoor on poll irregularities allegations

New Delhi: After Shashi Tharoor accused Congress central election authority chief Madhusudan Mistry of "irregularities" in the conduct of the party's presidential poll in Uttar Pradesh, the latter lashed back, The Indian Express reported.

"We accommodated your request, and despite that, you went to the media alleging Central Election Authority was conspiring against you," ANI quoted Mistry.

Mistry lashed out that Tharoor was satisfied with the answers by the authority to his queries about the poll process, but he made allegations before the media. "I am sorry to say that you had one face before me which communicated that you are satisfied with all our answers and different face in the media which made all these allegations against us," TIE quoted Mistry.

In a letter, Tharoor's campaign team alleged that there were irregularities and malpractices in Uttar Pradesh while conducting the election for Congress president. Further, Tharoor's chief election agent Salman Anees Soz demanded to deem the votes from the state invalid.

Misty further said that the allegations in the letter have no foundation and added that publishing the letter was wrong.

Also, a separate letter addressed to Mistry, Tharoor team alleged issues in an election conducted in Punjab and Telangana. They alleged that there were unethical practices while distributing delegate cards in Punjab and also flagged the presence of PCC chief Amrinder Singh Raja, warring inside the polling booth repeatedly and "allowing bogus voting". Mistry denied that too saying that no unauthorised person entered the polling booth.

In the presidential election of Congress, Mallikarjun Kharge won, gathering 7,897 votes (84.14%), and Shashi Tharoor polled 1,072 votes (11.42%). Kharge became the first non-Gandhi to become the Congress chief in two and a half decades.