He is from draught prone district Palamau in Jharkhand.KN Tripathy is a Congress leader, a former Minister, who has joined the fray for the Congress president’s post.

Everybody knows that self-promotion is one of the greatest challenges for a politician when pursuing career success. The obstacle often gets in the way of gaining headlines.

Notably, nomination papers submitted by Tripathi were rejected by the poll panel today. This left the fight between Tharoor and Kharge.

Tripathi must be aware of it. He also must be knowing his rivals are two other Congress leaders-Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor.

In the past, though he had acted as president of the Congress-affiliated Indian National Trade Union Congress (Tripathi faction), Tripathi can not be ignorant of the outcome of his move i.e his defeat is certain.

Yet Tripathi had submitted his nomination papers to Madhusudan Mistry, chairman of the Congress' Central Election Authority, at the Congress party headquarters in New Delhi on Friday. Why?

“Just to gain publicity”, says a Congress leader. “Without much investment, he has gained the limelight both within and outside the grand old party”, quipped a resident of Palamau.

Unlike him is Kharge who appears to be a clear favourite for the Congress top post as a top leader including the Gandhi family are learnt to be backing him.

Even Shashi Tharoor must not have ever met Tripathi against whom he has to mobilise votes. If his nomination papers are recognised as genuine, Tripathi will be in the fray. And though his defeat was certain, his name will be recorded in files of the Congress and thereby he will succeed in attaining the publicity- goal.

The Congress presidential election will take place on October 17. The counting of votes will take place on October 19.