Mallikarjun Kharge officially takes charge as Congress president

New Delhi, October 26: Veteran Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday officially took charge as the party president at the All India Congress Committee headquarters in the national capital.

Congress Central Election Authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry handed over the certificate of election to the top post. "I hope other parties draw a lesson from the Congress and hold polls for presidency by secret ballot," said Mistry. Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, MP Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra along with other senior leaders and MPs were present. Ahead of the event at the Congress headquarters on Wednesday, Mallikarjun Kharge met former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at his home on Tuesday. Also Read | Diwali 2022: Vicky, Katrina's first festival as Mr and Mrs Kaushal On Wednesday morning, he paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at his memorial Rajghat. He also visited memorials of former PMs Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, besides former deputy PM Jagjivan Ram. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="750"] In over five decades experience in active politics, Kharge has been a union minister, Congress leader in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and has held several portfolios in Karnataka where he was MLA nine times.[/caption] Kharge, who was elected the first Congress chief outside the Nehru-Gandhi family in 24 years, has his task cut out as the party faces several electoral and organisational challenges. A man of vast organisational and administrative experience, Kharge entered the electoral fray for the party's top post after Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot opted against contesting. Kharge, 80, was seen as the "establishment's candidate" against Shashi Tharoor and polled 7,897 votes against 1072 received by his rival. A leader who has risen from the grassroots, Kharge belongs to the Dalit community and will the second leader from Karnataka to hold the top party post after S Nijalingappa became the Congress president in 1968. In over five decades experience in active politics, Kharge has been a union minister, Congress leader in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and has held several portfolios in Karnataka where he was MLA nine times. Also Read | Banking services across nation to remain affected on Nov 19; know details -PTC News with ANI inputs