Mallikarjun Kharge takes charge as Congress president; his clarion call is Rahul Gandhi’s slogan ‘Daro Mat’

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, October 26

History was made on Wednesday as 80-year-old Karnataka leader Mallikarjun Kharge became the first non-Gandhi Congress president in 24 years, signalling a potential new era in the journey of the 137-year-old party which faces its worst odds ever in present times.

Kharge, who assumed the Congress mantle from Sonia Gandhi, the longest-serving party president, at the AICC headquarters here today, however, chose former chief Rahul Gandhi’s favourite slogan, “Daro mat (do not fear”, as his first war cry upon assumption of charge.

”We will take the Rahul Gandhi’s slogan, ‘Daro mat’, forward,” said Kharge, as he called upon all Congress persons to shed fear and assured them that “when the Congress workers cast away their fears, even the mightiest of empires have to keen down”.

The Congress president’s equation of the ruling BJP dispensation with the British Empire drew applause, as did his call of “demolishing the web of lies, hatred and fraud spun by the BJP”.

The senior Congress leader described himself as a common party worker as he took charge from Sonia Gandhi.

Sonia, who confessed that she was “happy and relieved to have relinquished the charge” that he held in the best of her capacity and capability for years, exuded confidence of the party’s revival under Kharge.

“I am happy that our party president is a leader who is rooted to the ground and has reached this current position by the virtue of his hard work and perseverance. The Congress has faced crisis before and never accepted defeat. We will again fight collectively and succeed,” said Sonia, in her speech that followed a reading of a statement of gratitude to her by AICC general secretary Ajay Maken.

Kharge for his part described the moment of his formal anointment as “emotional” thanking the party delegates for electing an ordinary worker, a labourer’s son the Congress president.

“I know it is a difficult time when efforts are being made to change the democratic structures established by the Congress…Who had ever thought that people in power would engage themselves with undermining democracy,” said Kharge, promising to “demolish  the web of lies, hatred and fraud prevailing in the country.”

Kharge repeatedly referred to Rahul’s Bharat Jodo Yatra as a transformational moment for the Congress and noted, “This yatra is a great mode whereby Rahul ji is connecting with the people. We assure that we won’t let the momentum created by this yatra go wasted.”

Pledging to implement a range of organisational reforms the party adopted by way of the Udaipur Chintan Shivir Declaration in mid-May, Kharge said 50 per cent party posts will be reserved for those below; organisational vacancies will be filled up, political advisory committees will be established in every state so also ST/ST advisory committees.

Kharge also mocked the BJP promise of a ‘new India’ asking, “What kind of a new India is this where the youth are not getting jobs, the farmers are being mowed down by jeeps, crimes against women are rising, and people are reeling under inflation while the government is sitting with eyes shut and helping few crony capitalists?”

Kharge also accused the BJP of idolising Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse saying “In this new India, Godse is called a patriot and (Mahatma) Gandhi a traitor.”

Kharge said the BJP wanted to make India Congress-free but the Congress would not allow that to happen.

”Together we will work to build an equal, empowered and enlightened India,” promised the new Congress President who was handed the formal charge of his AICC office by Sonia Gandhi today.

Moments after Kharge took over the entire Congress Working Committee, AICC general secretaries and state chiefs resigned, paving the way for the party president to put together a new team.

Earlier today, Kharge paid homage at the Raj Ghat and the memorials of former prime ministers Jawahar Lal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Jagjivan Ram.

Kharge facts

1. Mallikarjun Kharge is the third Scheduled Caste president of the Congress after Damodaram Sanjivayya and Babu Jagjivan Ram

2. Kharge is the first non-Gandhi chief after Sitaram Kesri who exited office in 1998 after being elected just a year earlier

3. For 39 years since Independence, Nehru-Gandhi family members have remained party presidents.

4. Kharge is the 18th Congress chief post Independence