High on poll wins and unity moves, Kharge completes one year as Cong Prez

New Delhi: As Mallikarjun Kharge completed one year in office as Congress President on October 26, the party has been able to rejuvenate its cadres with back-to-back victories in Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh and also has been able to hold its flock together.

Kharge was elected as the Congress President in last October after defeating Shashi Tharoor in the party's internal polls for the top post. He had officially taken over as the Congress President on October 26.

On Thursday (October 26), when he completed one year in office, the party in a post on X, said, "Mallikarjun Kharge: Congress President Committed To People's Good. Shri Kharge embodies the virtues of the Indian National Congress - Virtues of democracy, social justice, secularism, inclusive growth and patriotism."

The party said that having risen through the ranks, Kharge is an ideal example of what passion and persistence can achieve.

"From a humble position of a block-level leader to becoming the party's elected president, his journey studded with 55 years of electoral success is a testament to his hard work, dedication and commitment to the cause of democracy," the Congress said.

"He (Kharge) is a fearless leader who fights for and defends the ideals he believes in. He also champions the rights of poor & marginalised," the party said. "Under his leadership, the party has made significant progress. He has also been instrumental in revitalising the party's organisational structure and outreach to the people," the Congress said.

However, during his one year stint as the party chief, Kharge brought the much-needed change in party's functioning.

He reconstituted the crucial Congress Working Committee (CWC), party's highest decision making body, which includes senior leaders like Tharoor, Sachin Pilot, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several others.

While the panel includes 39 general members, it has 32 permanent invitees, including some in-charges of state and 13 special invitees. The list also includes presidents of the Youth Congress, the National Students’ Union of India, the Mahila Congress and the Seva Dal as ex-officio members.

Even under the formula of 50 per cent under 50 years, leaders like Sachin Pilot, K Patel and Gaurav Gogoi have found the place.

Supriya Shrinate, Alka Lamba, Deepender Hooda, Praniti Shinde, Yashomati Thakur, Jothimani and others have been included too under the same formula.

A party leader said that Kharge reconstituted the CWC with the mixture of veteran and young leaders in the party's top decision making body, which gave a clear glimpse of the flexibility while focusing on infusing fresh blood and energy with the experience of veteran leaders

He also said that under Kharge's leadership in last one year, the party has been able to win the crucial assembly election in Karnataka earlier this year and Himachal Pradesh in December last year, just days after taking over the reign of the party.

He explained that despite party veteran like Pratibha Singh, wife of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and her son Vikramidtya Singh in Himachal Pradesh, Kharge went with Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu as the Chief Minister of the hill state.

He said that he managed the situation through dialouges with Pratibha Singh to agree for Sukhu at the top post of the state.

He not only did this in Himachal Pradesh, but also in Karnataka where state unit chief DK Shivakumar was also one of the main contenders for the top post in the state along with former Chief minister Siddaramaiah, the party leader said.

"It was Kharge's style of handling the situation, which made Shivakumar to agree for Siddaramaiah as the Karnataka Chief Minister," he added.

The Congress leader said that when party's 4,000 km Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi started on September 7 last year from Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari, he completed it properly by participating in it on the most of the occasions and walking shoulder to shoulder with Rahul Gandhi during the yatra in several states.

The most important, the party leader said, was the handling of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot issue.

Besides naming Pilot in the CWC, who had led the mutiny against the Gehlot government in 2020, after which he was removed as Deputy Chief Minister and Rajasthan Congress chief, he also sorted the issue between the two warring leaders by holding multiple rounds of meetings which was also attended by Rahul Gandhi.

The party leader said even the exodus from the party stopped after Kharge took the helm of the party affairs as he handled every situation delicately by keeping the leadership informed.

Another party leader said that Kharge is very approachable for the party workers and leaders, which made him more accessible to them to give their suggestions and also share their problems with him.

He further said that he also handled the opposition leaders together inside and outside Parliament over crucial issues like Manipur, Women's Reservation Bill and many more.

"Kharge was also instrumental in bringing together the like-minded parties for the 2024 Lok Sabha Polls and it was his joint effort with Rahul Gandhi and other party leaders to sort out their personal ambitions with the formation of 28 parties Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA)," he added.

He further explained that Kharge has also been vocal against the government over the issues of inflation, unemployment, Manipur violence, among others through his witty style of mocking the BJP inside or outside Parliament.