Newly elected Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge took charge of the post on Wednesday at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in Delhi. Kharge received the certificate from Congress's central election authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry at the AICC headquarters in Delhi. Former party president Sonia Gandhi, MP Rahul Gandhi and party's General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were present at the program.
On October 19, Kharge became the first non-Gandhi Congress president in 24 years after defeating Shashi Tharoor by a huge margin in the race to the party's top post.
Here is the latest on Kharge officially taking charge as the party president:
1. As Mallikarjun Kharge took charge of the Congress top post today, all Congress Working Committee (CWC) members, MPs, Pradesh Congress Committee presidents, CLP leaders, former CMs, former State presidents, and other AICC office bearers were present at the programme, reported news agency ANI. Congress general secretary KC Venugopal sent the invitation to all the leaders.
Also read: It's Kharge vs Tharoor today: Here's a lowdown on Congress president election
2. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Tuesday said that he would also be presented at the event. “Mallikarjun Kharge will take charge as the national president of the Congress party. I too have been asked to be present at the occasion. So, I am going to Delhi,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}2. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Tuesday said that he would also be presented at the event. “Mallikarjun Kharge will take charge as the national president of the Congress party. I too have been asked to be present at the occasion. So, I am going to Delhi,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}3. Congress's central election authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry announced Kharge's name after the counting of votes and said that of the total 9,385 votes polled in the Congress president poll, Kharge got 7,897 votes and Tharoor received 1,072 votes. The rest of the 416 votes were declared invalid.
Also read: With Kharge at helm, Congress looks to gain political capital in Karnataka
4. In his first address after being elected the Congress president, Kharge thanked outgoing party chief Sonia Gandhi on behalf of all party workers. He had said that she “sacrificed many years of her life for the grand old party”.
5. Kharge also congratulated his opponent Shashi Tharoor. “I want to congratulate my partner Shashi Tharoor as well. I met him and discussed how to take the party forward," he said.