Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday took charge as the Congress’ first non-Gandhi president in 24 years, vowing to wrest power from the BJP both in the States and at the Centre and cited former chief Rahul Gandhi’s slogan “daro mat” to energise workers.
He, subsequently, formed a 47-member steering committee of the party that has some key omissions like his challenger in the presidential polls Shashi Tharoor besides Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who recently brought much “embarrassment” to the party with his last-minute backtracking from the party president’s election.
The steering committee, headed by Kharge, will function in place of the the Congress Working Committee (CWC) whose members, AICC general secretaries and incharges tendered their resignation soon after the new boss took charge in the presence of his predecessor and longest serving Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.
Haryana stalwart and one of the G-23 members, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, also did not find a place in Kharge’s steering committee. What surprised many was the inclusion of those like Ajoy Kumar and Manish Chathrath.
Leaders belonging to the Gandhi camp like Hooda’s archrival Kumari Selja, Bhakta Charan Das, Jitendra Singh and Devendra Yadav found a place in the committee.
The committee includes Sonia, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Rahul, and Priyanka Gandhi among others. This committee will function till a new CWC is formed after Kharge’s election is ratified at the party plenary.
According to a communication from the AICC general secretary (Organisation), the committee members also include senior party leaders A K Antony, Ambika Soni, Anand Sharma, KC Venugopal, Randeep Surjewala, and Digvijaya Singh.
Kharge said the Udaipur Declaration’s proposals such as 50 per cent party posts to be given to those below 50 years of age, filling up organisational vacancies, setting up public insight department and election management department, establishing political affairs committee in States, will be implemented.
Handing over the reins of the party to Kharge, Sonia said “change is the rule of the world”.
“Today, I will be freed of this responsibility and this weight will be off me and that is why it is natural that I am feeling relieved,” she said.
Kharge, 80, who defeated Tharoor, takes over at a time when the grand old party is struggling to find
relevance.
Acknowledging the challenges ahead, Kharge said elections will be held in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat as well as in other States and Congress workers would have to give it their all to defeat the BJP, which he accused of weakening democracy established by the Congress. “We will have to strongly perform in these states and we will need everyone’s strength and energy to succeed in them together,” Kharge said at the change of guard function at the AICC headquarters.
Soon after the function, Sonia Gandhi escorted Kharge to the office of the Congress president she had occupied for long years. Rahul Gandhi and a host of senior Congress leaders, including Gehlot and Chhattisgarh’s Chief Minsiter Bhupesh Baghel, as well as those from the G23 grouping that had questioned the drift in the party were also present.
“We are Mahatma Gandhi’s soldiers and we do not fear anyone. When Congress workers shed their fear from within, the biggest kingdom would bow before them. That is why I remember Rahul Gandhi’s words of “daro mat” and we will take forward this slogan,” Kharge said to rousing welcome from party workers, some who waved party flags in celebration.