Mallikarjun Kharge is Cong prez; immediate task Himachal, Gujarat elections

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, October 19

The Congress on Wednesday elected Karnataka strongman Mallikarjun Kharge as its first non-Gandhi president in 24 years in an overwhelming mandate that places onerous responsibilities on the new chief.

Editorial: New Cong chief

Even as the counting was underway, rival Shashi Tharoor’s poll agents complained of “voter fraud” in UP, a charge they withdrew later and dubbed as “baseless” by Congress election in-charge Madhusudan Mistry.

Kharge won with 84 per cent of the 9,385 votes cast and bagging 7,897 votes, almost eight times those of Lok Sabha MP Tharoor’s 1,072 votes. The widely anticipated victory of the former nine-term Karnataka MLA Kharge (80), viewed as an establishment candidate, over Tharoor (66), comes at a time when the Congress faces massive headwinds in the electoral seas.

The 137-year-old party is in power on its own in only Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh (both due for elections next year); faces an aggressive incumbent BJP in poll-bound Himachal and Gujarat weeks from now; stares at tough nine Assembly elections, including in Kharge’s home state Karnataka in 2023, followed by the General Election not so long after in 2024.

Conscious of his burdens and a hugely fragile Congress which continues to suffer defections, Kharge signalled a “collective approach” in his first remarks after getting elected today. “Everyone is equal here. We have to collectively fight attacks on our Constitution and the conspiracy to destroy democracy. We have to fight the fascist forces which, under the garb of communalism, are attacking democratic institutions,” said the Congress president-elect who will assume charge on October 26, relieving incumbent Sonia Gandhi, who has helmed the party for the longest time in its history—22 years from 1998 to 2017 and again from 2017 to date.

The top challenge would be assertion of his independence at a time when Sonia and her children Rahul and Priyanka continue to dominate the party’s mindscape. Even Tharoor, member of the G23 group that wanted Gandhis to have only an advisory role in the party, while conceding defeat today heaped praises on the Congress’ first family. “We owe an irredeemable debt to outgoing president Sonia Gandhi… hope she continues to guide the new leadership in overcoming the challenges ahead. My thanks also to Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi for doing their own bit to support free and neutral elections,” Tharoor wrote.

That Kharge’s victory was a foregone conclusion was always clear and was validated today when Rahul referred to him as party president even when the counting of votes was on. It was left to Sonia to signal Kharge’s independence in the new role as she called on him this evening rather than the other way round. Accompanied by daughter Priyanka, Sonia spent an hour at Kharge’s Rajaji residence.

The veteran who described himself as a “common man from humble beginnings, a common worker who had been elected chief”, however, reflected his deep deference to Gandhis in his acceptance remarks today. “I thank Rahul Gandhi for his congratulations and a promise to work as the party’s soldier,” said Kharge, who also hailed Sonia’s personal sacrifices and leadership of the party.

As the shadow of the first family of the Congress looms, Kharge would be judged on his decisions in the face of multiple challenges— making the Congress election battle-ready in the face of PM Modi’s fierce attacks over corruption and dynastic politics and mass connect; reviving the largely defunct Congress organisation; restoring the party’s primacy in the opposition space; implementing radical reforms the party vowed at the mid-May Udaipur ‘Chintan Shivir’ and maintaining his independence in the face of insinuations that he is an establishment candidate, a belief Rahul enforced in Andhra Pradesh today.

Rahul calls kharge prez before result

• Even as the counting was underway, Rahul Gandhi announced Kharge was ‘establishment candidate’
• “Can’t comment on Cong chief’s role. That’s for Kharge to comment on,” Rahul said in Andhra
• Tharoor’s team alleged ‘bungling’ in UP, sought all votes be declared invalid
• Madhusudan Mistry, poll in-charge, called the charge baseless. “Tharoor camp made a strategic retreat after Kharge swept the election,” Mistry said.

Bags 84% votes

Mallikarjun Kharge 7,897

Shashi Tharoor 1,072

Votes cast 9,385

Invalid votes 416

Challenges ahead

• Making Cong election battle-ready in face of an aggressive BJP
• Reviving Congress organisation
• Restoring party’s primacy in the Opposition space
• Maintaining own independence as shadow of the Gandhis looms

PM sends best wishes to Kharge

My best wishes to Mallikarjun Kharge ji for his new responsibility as president of Congress. — Narendra Modi, PM

Need to fight collectively

We have to collectively fight attacks on our Constitution and the conspiracy to destroy democracy. — Mallikarjun Kharge