Senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge began his campaign for the Congress presidential poll on Sunday. He added that he entered the polls to strengthen the party and not to oppose anyone.
In a press conference held in Delhi, Kharge said: "Politics is not a part-time job for me. I have a 5-decade long career".
It was after senior and young leaders urged him to enter the fray, Kharge made the decision to contest.
He said he was sticking to the 'one person, one post' principle of the party, following which he resigned from the post of the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha on the day he filed the nomination.
Ahead of the polls, Kharge sought the cooperation of the Congress delegates and urged them to support him. "I got inspiration from the leaders of the Congress party to fight these elections. I'm not against anyone else. I'm here to present and promote my ideology," Kharge said.
Kharge also said that he tried Tharoor not to contest for the post and let there be a consensus candidate. "He had called me and I tried to convince him but he wanted to fight. How can I stop anyone?" he said.
There is unemployment, inflation is rising, the gap between the rich and the poor is widening, and all promises of the BJP remain unfulfilled, Kharge said at a press conference flanked by Congress leaders Deepender Hooda, Syed Naseer Hussain and Gourav Vallabh.
Vallabh said that he along with Hooda and Hussain has resigned as Congress spokespersons and will campaign for Kharge in the AICC president polls.
Kharge rejected suggestions that the Gandhi family was backing him, saying he was urged by other leaders to contest.
After former Jharkhand minister, K N Tripathi's nomination was rejected on Saturday, Kharge and Tharoor were left in the fray.
According to a notification issued by Congress on Thursday, the process for filing nominations for the election was from September 24 to 30.
The final list of candidates will be published on October 8.
The polling, if needed, will be held on October 17. The counting of votes will be taken up on October 19 and the results will be declared the same day.
Over 9,000 Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates will vote in the poll.
(With inputs from PTI)
