Sonia Gandhi

Mallikarjun Kharge has been elected new chief of the party after securing an overwhelming 7897 votes while Shashi Tharoor could only garner around 1000 votes. Newly-elected Congress president addressed press conference and spoke on various issues.

Mallikarjun Kharge saw immense support from across the party where leaders, both veterans and young guns, decided to give up on their individual roles in the Congress and campaign for the Dalit heavyweight.

Mallikarjun Kharge is the new Congress President and will be first non-Gandhi to hold post in over 2 decades. He will replace interim Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, who has been at the post ever since Rahul Gandhi stepped down after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

In an exclusive interview to Asianet News Network, Mallikarjun Kharge's son, Priyank Kharge, stated that the new Congress president won't be remote controlled by the Gandhi family and also highlighted that the election process is a healthy one that will result in the overall victory of the Grand Old Party.

The elections were held three years after Rahul Gandhi stepped down as President after the Congress's second consecutive election defeat in 2019. Sonia Gandhi, who had stepped down as the party's interim leader, was persuaded to return in August 2019.

Khage however, did not want to make any direct comments on his opponent in the poll- Tharoor or his campaign, and merely said that, everyone has the right to speak about their merit, while seeking support, like he has been highlighting his connection with the party's grassroots level.

Senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor are pitted against each other and have been crisscrossing various state capitals to woo the over 9,000 Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates who comprise the electoral college for electing the party chief.

Earlier, the 80-year-old Congress leader said he decided to enter the fray for the top post after members of the Gandhi family refused to contest the poll and he wanted to strengthen the party. The contest is set to take place on October 17 in every state capital through a secret ballot.

"Someone spread this rumour to discredit the Congress party, Sonia Gandhi, and myself. She has clearly said that she will not contest the party elections or support any candidate," said Mallikarjun Kharge, the party's presidential candidate.

Tharoor reiterated that the Gandhi family have made it clear that they are staying above the fray and are neutral, and have also asked the party spokespeople and the party's central election authority to announce that.