Delhi, Oct 26, 2022: Senior Congress Leader Mallikarjun Kharge officially took charge as the 98th president of the Indian National Congress.
The 80-year old Dalit leader from Karnataka had won 90% of the votes cast by Congress delegates in the president elections last week, beating his opponent Shashi Tharoor by a landslide.
Several key dignitaries including former party president Sonia Gandhi, party MP Rahul Gandhi, Chattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, and Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, among others were present at Kharge’s charge taking ceremony.
The first non-Gandhi person to have been made president of the party in more than 2 decades, Kharge is an ardent follower of BR Ambedkar and vowed to carry forward the legacy of Congress in his speech.
Referring to Congress presidency as a “huge responsibility”, Sonia Gandhi conveyed her trust in Kharge to further strengthen and inspire the Indian National Congress party in the coming years.