Kharge to take charge of Congress president today
Veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge will formally take over as Congress president today after he is handed over the certificate of election at a function.
Hectic preparations were underway at the Congress headquarters on Tuesday for the ceremony where outgoing president Sonia Gandhi will hand over the reins to Kharge, the first non-Gandhi to head the party in 24 years.
Kharge defeated Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor in a direct contest for the top post in the grand old party after the Gandhis opted out of the race.
Ahead of his taking over, Kharge called on former prime minister Manmohan Singh at his residence and spent some time with him.
Security personnel and workers made last-minute arrangements in the Congress president’s office and on the AICC headquarters lawns where a tent was being put up.
Chairman of the central election authority of the Congress Madhusudan Mistry will formally hand over the election certificate to Kharge at Wednesday’s function, which will also see the presence of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.