Senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday took over as the first non-Gandhi Congress president in 24 years with a vow to take on the Narendra Modi government to save the Constitution and the country’s democracy and a promise to implement radical measures in the party finalised in its Udaipur Chintan Shivir that includes infusing young blood in leadership.
The 80-year-old leader took the baton from 76-year-old Sonia Gandhi at a function at the Congress headquarters here in the presence of senior leaders and party lawmakers, after hailing the contribution of Sonia who led the party since 1998 barring two years when Rahul Gandhi was the party chief.
As soon as Kharge took over as the new chief, all Congress Working Committee members, General Secretaries and party’s state in-charges tendered their resignations enabling the new president to choose his own team.
Also Read | Kharge's election and the elite commentariat
At the event attended by senior leaders, including Shashi Tharoor who contested against Kharge, Congress profusely thanked Sonia for her services to the party, saying the “icon of sacrifice” converted consensus and common minimum programme into a political value.
Sonia thanked the party saying, “I am relieved today because the years long love and respect that you have given me was a big responsibility as well. Today I am free from this responsibility.”
Speaking after Sonia, the new president said it was an “emotional moment” for him, as he recalled the rise of a labourer’s son from a Block Congress president in 1969 to the party president and thanked the party and its workers for bestowing such an honour on him.
Acknowledging that it was a "difficult time" as efforts are being made to change democracy established by the Congress, he said, "the Congress will break this system of lies and hatred that is prevailing in the country."
He said it is the duty of Congressmen to be battle ready to save the Constitution written by B R Ambedkar at a time efforts are on to re-write the country's democratic traditions. "Congress' ideology is the Constitution's ideology...We need to stand unitedly...We will challenge the anarchism perpetuated by this government," he said.
"What kind of new India is this where youth are not getting jobs, farmers are being crushed under jeeps, atrocities taking place against women are rising, people are reeling under price rise but government is sitting with eyes closed? government is helping a few crony capitalist friends," Kharge said.
He said hunger is rising in this new India where the cost of education and pollution are rising. The government is sleeping but the ED, CBI are working for 24 hours for suppression," he said.
Also Read — Infographic | Congress presidents over the years
"In this new India, Dalits, minorities and exploited people are being insulted and opportunities taken away from them...Godse is called a patriot and Gandhiji is called a traitor, there are efforts to change Ambedkar's Constitution and replace it with Sangh's Constitution," Kharge added.
Referring to the organisational changes he proposes to bring in, Kharge said it is his duty to implement the Udaipur Declaration.
He said proposals such as 50% organisational posts for those below 50 years of age, filling up organisational vacancies, setting up Public Insight Department and Election Management Department and establishing Political Affairs Committee in states will be implemented.