Congress President poll: Mallikarjun Kharge set to be party's new chief

Congress leader Pramod Tiwari announced on Wednesday that senior politician Mallikarjun Kharge had won the party’s presidential election.

Congress leader Pramod Tiwari announced on Wednesday that senior politician Mallikarjun Kharge had won the party’s presidential election.

“Mallikarjun Kharge wins the Congress presidential elections with 7897 votes, Shashi Tharoor got about 1000 votes. Kharge has won with 8 times more votes,” Pramod Tiwari said. Shashi Tharoor, who was pitted against Kharge conceded his defeat and wished the veteran leader “all success.”

“It is a great honour & a huge responsibility to be President of @INCIndia &I wish @Kharge
ji all success in that task. It was a privilege to have received the support of over a thousand colleagues,& to carry the hopes& aspirations of so many well-wishers of Congress across India.” Tharoor tweeted.

More than 9,500 delegates voted in the presidential election, which was held at the conclusion of the party’s organisational polls.

According to Congress sources, the chosen president will assume office following Diwali in the presence of top leaders at a ceremony at the Congress headquarters.

Taking to Twitter, Tharoor said that he called on the new Congress President and congratulated him.
“Called on our new President-elect Mallikarjun @kharge to congratulate him & offer him my full co-operation. @incIndia has been strengthened by our contest,” he said.

Tharoor said he believed “the revival of the party begins today”. “It is a great honour and a huge responsibility to be President of the INC and I wish Kharge ji all success in the task,” the MP from Thiruvananthapuram tweeted.

In a statement issued just after the announcement of the poll result, Tharoor said, “Our new President is our party colleague and senior who brings ample leadership and experience to the table. Under his guidance, I am confident we can all collectively take the party to new heights.”

Rahul Gandhi, who is in the Bharat Jodo Yatra (currently in the Andhra Pradesh leg of the 3,500 km-long march), also extended wishes to Kharge and said that the post he has been elected for “represents a democratic vision of India”.

“Congratulations to Mallikarjun Kharge ji on being elected as the President of @INCIndia. The Congress President represents a democratic vision of India. His vast experience and ideological commitment will serve the party well as he takes on this historic responsibility,” Gandhi tweeted.

Outgoing Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party’s General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday reached the residence of Mallikarjun Kharge and congratulated him on being elected as the new party president.

They also met Kharge’s wife Radhabai Kharge on the occasion.