Will do my best to lift the party, says Mallikarjun Kharge as he takes charge of Congress
NEW DELHI,OCT 26 : Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge has taken charge as Congress President, becoming the first non-Gandhi to hold the post in 24 years.
Kharge, 80, was handed over the certificate of election at AICC headquarters by Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday.
In his first address as Congress chief, Kharge congratulated all delegates who voted for him in the party polls.
“Today a mazdoor ka beta [a worker’s son], a Congress worker, has been appointed as the Congress President. I assure you that, with my work, with my experience, I will do my best to lift the party. This is my appeal,” Kharge said.
The new party chief also thanked Sonia Gandhi for steering the Congress in tough times. Under her leadership, two UPA governments were formed, Kharge said, naming UPA’s flagship schemes such as MGNREGA, Food Security Act and Right to Information Act.
Before taking charge, Mallikarjun Kharge paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat.
A hardcore Congressman loyal to the Gandhi family, Kharge has played multiple roles in different ministries. However, sober by temperament and nature, Kharge has never landed in any other major political trouble or controversy. His rise to the position of Congress chief as a Dalit leader is being viewed as a strong political move ahead of the Karnataka Assembly Elections in May 2023.
Now, as the head of the Congress, Kharge is tasked with reinventing the party and improving its electoral fortunes ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
-The India Today
