New Delhi: Mallikarjun Kharge is elected as the new Congress president after a landslide victory in the party’s first election in more than 20 years. Mr Kharge, widely seen to be the “Gandhi-approved” candidate, won 90 per cent of the votes cast on Monday. He would take charge as the new chief after Diwali in the prescence of senior leaders in a program at the party HQs Delhi.
Kharge amassed 7897 out of a total 9,385 voters. Meanwhile, Shashi Tharoor got 1,072 votes in his favour. 416 votes were deemed invalid.
Even before the results were announced, Rahul Gandhi had declared Mr Kharge as the winner at a press conference in Karnataka.When asked whether he would report to the new chief, Rahul Gandhi said: “The new president will decide what my role will be. Ask Kharge ji and Sonia ji.”
Meanwhile, Shashi Tharoor alleged “extremely serious irregularities” in the election process.
The polls were held three years after Sonia Gandhi agreed to temporarily lead the party when Rahul Gandhi stepped down, taking responsibility for the two consecutive routs of the party in 2014 and 2019 general elections.