Mr. S. Nijalingappa was to-day [December 7, New Delhi] declared elected as the President of the Indian National Congress. This was announced by Mr. Sadiq Ali, Returning Officer for the Congress Presidential elections. The announcement said with the withdrawals of Mr. S.K. Patil, Mr. Gulzarilal Nanda, Mr. Mohan Dharia and Mr. K. Hanumanthaiya, candidates for the office of the Congress President, Mr. S. Nijalingappa “alone remains in the field.” The other candidates “have formally intimated to me their desire to withdraw their candidature,” Mr. Sadid Ali said and added: “I, therefore, declare Mr. S. Nijalingappa duly elected as the President of the Indian National Congress in accordance with the provisions of the Congress Constitution in this behalf.” Mr. Hanumanthaiya, later said that his name was proposed by the Bangalore city and District Committee since “no Kannadiga has so far been a Congress President.
