Haryana Minister dubs Congress presidential polls "election for Gandhi family's remote"

Ambala (Haryana) [India], October 19 : Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij on Wednesday took a swipe at the Congress presidential poll and dubbed it as the "election for Gandhi family's remote".
Citing the instance of freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose, he alleged that Bose was compelled to step down as the party president after he beat Sita Ramaiya in 1939 in the election.
"They are saying that it is an election for the Congress president, in reality, it is an election for the remote of the Gandhi family. They had made Sitaram Keshri the president, then removed him from office. Subhas Chandra Bose was compelled to step down from the post of Congress president. Then he made his own party. They cannot run the party without the Gandhi family," Vij said.
Earlier today, Mallikarjun Kharge was declared the winner in the race for the party president in which Shashi Tharoor was the opponent.
Chairman of the party's Central Election Committee (CEC) Madhusudan Mistry today declared Mallikarjun Kharge as the elected President of the party.
"The total counted votes were 9,385, of which Mallikarjun Kharge received 7,897 votes and Shashi Tharoor received 1,072 votes. 416 were invalid votes. As per Article 18 (D) of the Constitution of Indian National, I hereby declare Mallikarjun Kharge as the elected President of Congress," said Mistry.
Vij, hit out at the Nehru-Gandhi family while also accusing them of "stealing" Mahatma Gandhi's name and changing the surname from 'Ghandy' to Gandhi.
Vij asserted that the Nehru-Gandhi family had no relation with Mahatma Gandhi and they are nowhere to be seen in his family tree.
"I want to ask them, how are they Gandhi? I have seen the family tree of Mahatma Gandhi, there is no relation with the Nehru family. Indira Gandhi got married to Feroz Shah Ghandy. They turned Ghandy to Gandhi and stole Mahatma Gandhi's name. How are they Gandhis?" he said.