CHENNAI: 662 of the 711 Tamil Nadu Congress Committee delegates voted in the Congress presidential election. The state unit backed the 80-year-old leader Mallikarjun Kharge, who was running against the MP from Thiruvananthapuram, Shashi Tharoor.

Tharoor was ws cold-shouldered when he went to the state party headquarters to ask for votes, but Mallikarjun Kharge was given a warm welcome. The leaders of Congress said that this was a clear sign of which way the wind was blowing.

But Karthi Chidambaram, a Congress leader and MP from Sivaganga, made it clear that he supported Shashi Tharoor. Karthi Chidambaram told the reporters that the results of the poll would be a pleasant surprise. Karthi said that whoever wins the election will move the party forward, even though he had been open about supporting Tharoor.

He also said that the fact that the party chose to hold the election made it stronger. "The party will move forward no matter who wins."

After leaving the voting booth, the former president of the TNCC, Su Thirunavukkarasar, said that the election was fair. "There IS nothing wrong with Shashi Tharoor running for office... The people can vote for whoever they want... So far, however, Mallikarjun Kharge has been the favourite," he said.

All of the ballot boxes from all of the polling places across the country will be taken to New Delhi and kept in the safe room at the party headquarters. The votes will be counted tomorrow, October 19.

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