mallikarjun kharge

Congress steering committee included former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, as well as former Prime minister Manmohan Singh. Most of the office-bearers have also been included in the newly constituted steering committee.

Will it be a fresh start? Will it be a case of continuity? These are some of the questions Congress will ponder over as all members of the Congress Working Committee, general secretaries and in-charges resigned from their posts.

On Wednesday, when Congress’ interim president officially absolved herself of the responsibility, with veteran Mallikarjun Kharge taking over, Sonia Gandhi acknowledged that she is "feeling a sigh of relief".

The campaigner list clearly indicates that Sonia Gandhi is still the supreme boss of the party.

Hours after Mallikarjun Kharge was elected the Grand Old Party’s first non-Gandhi president in more than two decades, the veteran politician he vowed to fight against the fascist forces who are attacking every democratic institution under the guise of communalism.

Reacting to the allegations of irregularities in the Congress presidential election, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi put his faith in Madhusudan Mistry, who is the chairman of the Congress’ Central Election Authority (CEA). 

Congress presidential elections seem to have all the drama usually associated with a polling process. On Wednesday, the day of the counting of votes, the supporters of one of the candidates, senior party leader Shashi Tharoor, wrote to the party’s poll panel, alleging irregularities.

Congress will enter a new dawn as the party’s first non-Gandhi president in more than two decades is expected to be announced by the afternoon today.

Congress will hope that with patience and vast experience, Kharge can paper over the cracks that put the party into an existential crisis.

Kharge will lock horns with Shashi Tharoor and Jharkhand Congress leader KN Tripathi.