Mallikarjun Kharge takes charge of the party at a time when it faces a tough challenge from a formidable BJP led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi which has ousted the Congress from many states.
Mallikarjun Kharge is set to formally take over as Congress president on Wednesday after he is handed over the certificate of election and the baton by Sonia Gandhi. Hectic preparations were underway at the Congress headquarters for the ceremony where party president Sonia Gandhi will hand over the baton to her successor, Mallikarjun Kharge, the first non-Gandhi to head the outfit in 24 years. Kharge defeated Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor in a direct contest for the top post in the grand old party after the Gandhis opted out of the race. Ahead of his taking over, Kharge called on former prime minister Manmohan Singh at his residence and spent some time with him.
only Rahul Gandhi can challenge Modi: Ashok Gehlot
“Till the last minute, efforts were made to make Rahul Gandhi the party president as only he can challenge Modi and govt. Today is a new beginning. We congratulate Mallikarjun Kharge Ji and will work to strengthen the party,” says Rajasthan CM and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot
Kharge is well known for ‘not losing an election
Beginning his career as chief of the Gulbarga city council, Kharge has served as a state minister and a Lok Sabha MP from Gulbarga (2009 and 2014).
The old warhorse is well-known for not losing an election barring the 2019 Lok Sabha poll from Gulbarga.
It was after that loss that Sonia Gandhi brought Kharge to the Rajya Sabha and in February 2021 made him the leader of the opposition.
Kharge as Congress president – A crown of thorns
Kharge, 80, takes charge of the party at a time when it faces a tough challenge from a formidable BJP led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi which has ousted the Congress from many states.
With the Congress now remaining in power in only two states — Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh — on its own and as a junior partner in Jharkhand, Kharge’s first challenge is to bring the party to power in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, which go to polls in the next few weeks.
In 2023, Kharge will face the onerous task of leading the Congress in nine assembly elections, including in his home state of Karnataka where he was an MLA for nine terms.
Kharge’s election also comes at a time the party is reeling under internal rumblings and high-profile exits after a series of electoral debacles and has been reduced to a shadow of its former formidable self.
News Sources – India Tv News
