Cong leaders congratulate Kharge on completing 2 yrs as party chief

PTI, Oct 26, 2024, 4:34 PM IST

ANI Image

Mallikarjun Kharge completed two years as Congress president on Saturday with a host of leaders led by Rahul Gandhi lauding his contribution to the party.

Kharge formally took charge as party president on October 26, 2022. He was the first non-Gandhi to be elected to the post in 24 years.

The 82-year-old Congress chief cut two cakes at his residence on Saturday in the presence of Rahul Gandhi and other senior party leaders who had gathered to greet him.

During the two years of his presidency, Kharge led the party in the 2024 general elections, where the Congress improved its tally to 99 from 52 seats in 2019.

The Congress formed governments in Himachal Pradesh in 2022, Karnataka and Telangana in 2023, and is part of the ruling coalition in Jammu and Kashmir after the recent election. However, the Congress lost power in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan in 2023 and failed to get back to power in Haryana and Madhya Pradesh, under him.

Former party president Rahul Gandhi drove to Kharge’s 10, Rajaji Marg residence, and felicitated him by presenting a bouquet.

“Hearty congratulations and best wishes to Mallikarjun Kharge ji on completing two years as Congress President,” Gandhi said in a post on X.

“Your leadership has strengthened the party’s resolve to serve the people. Your struggle and experience inspire us.

“Your guidance is valuable for every warrior of justice in protecting the Constitution and public interests,” the former Congress chief also said.

After Kharge cut the cake, Gandhi served him and then cut the cake into smaller pieces to serve to others present.

A host of Congress leaders including party treasurer Ajay Maken and AICC general secretaries Jairam Ramesh, Kumari Selja, Ramesh Chennithala and Tariq Anwar were present.

Mahila Congress chief Alka Lamba, Amritsar MP Gurjit Singh Aujla, K Raju and other leaders were also present.

Born in a poor Dalit family, Kharge rose to through the ranks in the party.

He was the Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from 1996 to 1999 and was the president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee from 2005 to 2008.

He became Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha in 2021. He was first elected to the Lok Sabha in the 2009 general election from Gulbarga. He has been a Member of Rajya Sabha from Karnataka since 2020.

He was the chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee in 16th Lok Sabha from 2016 to 2019.

During the UPA 2 government, he served as the Minister of Railways from 2013 to 2014 and Minister of Labour and Employment from 2009 to 2013 in the Union Cabinet.

Kharge was a Member of Parliament from Gulbarga from 2009 to 2019. He was also general secretary of the All India Congress Committee and the incharge for Maharashtra from 2018 to 2020.

He was a member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from Gurmitkal Assembly constituency from 1972 to 2008 and from Chittapur Assembly constituency from 2008 to 2009. He also served as a minister in the Karnataka government.

He is known for his record of defeating all his opposition candidates in his lifetime career except in 2019.