Kharge formally takes over as Congress president

Veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge formally took over as Congress president on Wednesday after he was handed over the certificate of election to the top post at a function at the AICC headquarters.

He had defeated Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor in a direct contest for the president's post.

Kharge was handed over the certificate of election as the Congress president by the party's central election authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry.

Mistry said he hopes other parties will draw a lesson from the Congress and hold polls for party presidency by secret ballot.

Outgoing Congress president Sonia Gandhi, former chief Rahul Gandhi and AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were also present at the event which was attended by several top party leaders.

Ahead of his official takeover as the Congress president on Wednesday, Kharge paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at the Rajghat, and also visited the Samta Sthal and Shakti Sthal.