Karnataka’s veteran leader is first non-Gandhi to head the grand old party in 24 years
Team News Riveting
New Delhi, October 26
Mallikarjun Kharge today formally took over as Congress president at a function held at the AICC headquarters, the first non-Gandhi to head the grand-old party in 24 years.
Kharge was handed over the certificate of election as the Congress president by the party’s central election authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry. He had defeated Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor in a direct contest for the president’s post.
Outgoing Congress president Sonia Gandhi, former chief Rahul Gandhi and AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were also present at the function. Earlier, Kharge visited Rajghat and paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi. He also visited the memorials of former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi and former deputy prime minister Jagjivan Ram and paid tributes to the leaders.
Speaking at the event, Kharge said it was an emotional moment for him and he would like to thank Congress people for making a worker’s son and an ordinary worker, president of the party. “I know it is a difficult time, efforts are being made to change democracy established by Congress,” the 80-year-old leader said, adding that “The Congress will break this system of lies and hatred that is prevailing in the country.”
Kharge also hailed Rahul Gandhi for embarking on the Bharat Jodo Yatra, which, he said, is filling the country with a new energy.
The newly elected Congress president said the Udaipur Declaration’s proposals such as 50 per cent party posts to be given to those below 50 years of age, filling up organisational vacancies, setting up public insight department and election management department, establishing political affairs committee in states, will be implemented.
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