Mallikarjun Kharge becomes new Congress chief by beating Shashi Tharoor

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Oct 19, 2022: The Congress has elected its first non-Gandhi president in 24 years. Mapanna Mallikarjun Kharge has emerged as the winner in the historic polls, defeating his rival Shashi Tharoor.  The numbers stood at 7,897 votes for Kharge, against 1,072 votes polled for Tharoor. Of the total 9,385 votes, 416 were declared invalid. But winning is like a habit for the veteran leader – who in the past has contested 12 elections (both Assembly and Lok Sabha) and tasted defeat only once -- in 2019. In fact, he scripted a history of sorts when he was elected for the eighth consecutive time to the Karnataka Assembly in 2004. He set another milestone when he was elected for the ninth time in a row to the Assembly from Chitapur.

 

It has been a chequered journey for Kharge, the 80-year-old veteran Congress leader, as he caps his career as the Congress chief, only the second Dalit to be so, after Jagjivan Ram.

Born on July 21, 1942 in Bidar, Kharge joined Congress way back in 1969 and has held an array of portfolios. He has been the Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha from Karnataka since February 16, 2021. From February 16, 2021 to October 1 2022, Kharge was Leader of the Opposition of Rajya Sabha.

He was also the Minister of Railways and Minister of Labour and Employment in Manmohan Singh government. During 2014–2019, he held the position of leader of the Congress party in Lok Sabha.

Kharge studied law at Seth Shankarlal Lahoti College in Gulbarga and won many labour union cases as a junior. Later, he became a labour union leader. After becoming President of the Gulbarga City Congress Committee in 1969, he contested the Karnataka State Assembly elections in 1972. In 1973, he held the position of Chairman of the Octroi Abolition Committee which tabled its report and was instrumental in giving a fresh leash of life to municipal and civic bodies in Karnataka by boosting their economy. He took a string of initiatives as the Chairman of state-owned Leather Development Corporation. He became the Minister of State for Primary Education in 1976. Over 16,000 backlog vacancies of SC/STs teachers were cleared during his tenure.

The other portfolios he held were that of Minister of State for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj in the Devaraj Urs ministry and Minister for Revenue in the Gundu Rao Cabinet. While he was at the helm, occupancy rights for land-less tillers and labourers were ensured and a number of land reforms steps were carried out.

In 1990, he was made Minister for Revenue, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj. And later in the Veerappa Moily Cabinet, he became Minister for Co-operation, Medium and Large Industries. He was Minister for Home in the S M Krishna Cabinet as well.

Courtesy: India Today