Congress President Election Result 2022: Mallikarjun Kharge wins presidential polls, first non-Gandhi to lead party in 24 years
Congress President Election Result 2022 Live Today: The Congress on Wednesday elected Mallikarjun Kharge as its president, the first non-Gandhi to head the party in 24 years at a time the 137-year-old party is struggling to reverse its slide in the country's electoral politics. A staunch Gandhi family loyalist from Karnataka, the 80-year-old leader defeated Shashi Tharoor in an electoral contest by bagging nearly 84 per cent of votes in the party presidential election.
Kharge secured victory with 7,897 votes, with runner-up Shashi Tharoor getting about 1000 votes. Around 416 votes were rejected. Counting of votes cast in the election for a new Congress President began today at 10 am. Results were announced at around 1.45 pm once the counting process was completed. All the ballot papers were mixed in an effort to not know how many ballots the two candidates -- Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor -- received from a particular state.
Since 1998, Sonia Gandhi has been the President, while Rahul Gandhi also occupied the post for a brief period and resigned following the 2019 poll debacle. Mallikarjun Kharge will have to work on rejuvenating the grand old party. Bringing organisational changes, breaking losing streak year-on-year since 2014 and dealing with the Congress G-23 — or group of 23 leaders will be some of the top priorities for the new chief.
Congress President Election Result 2022 Live Today: The Congress on Wednesday elected Mallikarjun Kharge as its president, the first non-Gandhi to head the party in 24 years at a time the 137-year-old party is struggling to reverse its slide in the country's electoral politics. A staunch Gandhi family loyalist from Karnataka, the 80-year-old leader defeated Shashi Tharoor in an electoral contest by bagging nearly 84 per cent of votes in the party presidential election.
Kharge secured victory with 7,897 votes, with runner-up Shashi Tharoor getting about 1000 votes. Around 416 votes were rejected. Counting of votes cast in the election for a new Congress President began today at 10 am. Results were announced at around 1.45 pm once the counting process was completed. All the ballot papers were mixed in an effort to not know how many ballots the two candidates -- Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor -- received from a particular state.
Since 1998, Sonia Gandhi has been the President, while Rahul Gandhi also occupied the post for a brief period and resigned following the 2019 poll debacle. Mallikarjun Kharge will have to work on rejuvenating the grand old party. Bringing organisational changes, breaking losing streak year-on-year since 2014 and dealing with the Congress G-23 — or group of 23 leaders will be some of the top priorities for the new chief.
Latest Updates
PM Narendra Modi wishes Mallikarjun Kharge 'fruitful tenure' in his new responsibility as Congress president.
My best wishes to Shri Mallikarjun Kharge Ji for his new responsibility as President of @INCIndia. May he have a fruitful tenure ahead. @kharge
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 19, 2022
Congresss party says newly-elected Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will take over formally on October 26.
Shashi Tharoor speaks to media after losing to Kharge, says "We should consider Kharge Ji's victory as the victory of the Congress party. This election was never about a person but always about the party. I always wanted to strengthen the party because strengthening Congress is very important for the country."
Congress President-elect Mallikarjun Kharge talks to media after winning. "I want to congratulate my partner Shashi Tharoor as well. I met him and discussed how to take the party forward. I want to thank Sonia Gandhi on behalf of all party workers. Under her leadership, we formed our govt in the centre twice."
"We all have to work like workers of the party, nobody is big or small in the party. We have to unitedly fight against the fascist forces that are attacking the democratic institutions under the garb of communalism," Kharge adds.
Outgoing Congress president Sonia Gandhi meets Mallikarjun Kharge
Outgoing Congress president Sonia Gandhi & party's General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra congratulated Mallikarjun Kharge, on being elected as the Congress President; also met his wife Radhabai Kharge. https://t.co/ijZWWWwnVr pic.twitter.com/crGPBOyrOO
— ANI (@ANI) October 19, 2022
Congress will become stronger under Kharge's leadership: Kamal Nath
Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath and senior party leader Digvijaya Singh on Wednesday congratulated Mallikarjun Kharge on getting elected as the new Congress president. Kharge defeated Shashi Tharoor in an electoral contest, the sixth in the party's 137-year-old history. Congratulating Kharge, former MP chief minister Kamal Nath said, "I am sure that his vast experience will benefit the Congress organisation a lot and under his able leadership the party will not only scale new heights, it will also get strengthened further."
Mallikarjun Kharge to hold presser at 4-4:30pm
I will hold a press conference between 4-4:30pm today: Mallikarjun Kharge, after getting elected as the President of the Indian National Congress
Celebration visuals from outside the AICC office in Delhi
#WATCH | Mallikarjun Kharge wins the Congress presidential elections; celebration visuals from outside the AICC office in Delhi pic.twitter.com/DiIpt5aLpJ
— ANI (@ANI) October 19, 2022
Mallikarjun Kharge, new Congress Party president
Mallikarjun Kharge has won the Congress presidential elections with 7897 votes, Shashi Tharoor got about 1000 votes; 416 votes were rejected.
Last non-Gandhi party chief
Sitaram Kesri was the last non-Gandhi family leader to lead the Congress party and had one of the most controversial exits from the party.
List of Congress presidents from non-Gandhi family since 1947
J.B. Kripalani – 1947
Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramayya - 1948–1949
Purushottam Das Tandon - 1950
U N Dhebar - 1955-59
Neelam Sanjiva Reddy - 1960-63
K. Kamaraj - 1964-67
S. Nijalingappa - 1968-69
Jagjivan Ram - 1970-71
Shankar Dayal Sharma - 1972-74
Devakanta Barua - 1975-77
Kasu Brahmananda Reddy - 1977–78
P. V. Narasimha Rao - 1992-96
Sitaram Kesri - 1996-98
Secret ballot voting for Congress president election
The Congress presidential polls were held by a secret ballot. This simply means that absolutely got to know who voted for whom in order to ensure level-playing field for the candidates.
Congress Central Election Authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry arrives at the party HQ in Delhi
Congress Central Election Authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry arrives at the party HQ in Delhi. Counting of votes for the party's presidential election will begin shortly
Gaurav Gogoi,counting agent of the party's presidential candidate Mallikarjun Kharge also arrives at the HQ pic.twitter.com/mYw7pLqOEK
— ANI (@ANI) October 19, 2022
Challenges for the new President of Congress party
The new party president will have to work on rejuvenating the grand old party. Bringing organisational changes, breaking losing streak year-on-year since 2014 and dealing with the Congress G-23 — or group of 23 leaders will be some of the top priorities for the new chief.
Non-Gandhi Congress President after over 2 decades
Since 1998, Sonia Gandhi has been the President, while Rahul Gandhi also occupied the post for a brief period and resigned following the 2019 poll debacle.