Every Congress worker is equal, says new party chief Kharge

Congress president-elect Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said no one in the party is big or small and he will work as a true Congress soldier to strengthen the organisation.

He will formally take over as the Congress president on October 26 from Sonia Gandhi who has been at the helm since Rahul Gandhi resigned after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Addressing a press conference after he was declared elected as the party's president, Kharge said for him every Congress worker is equal and all have to work together to fight the fascists forces threatening democracy and the Constitution.

Kharge defeated Shashi Tharoor in the electoral contest by polling 7,897 of 9,385 votes. Tharoor got 1,072 votes, while 416 votes were declared invalid.

He said by holding organisational elections, the Congress has shown the country how internal democracy is strong in the organisation.

"No one is small or big and we have to all work like karyakartas (workers) to strengthen the organisation," Kharge said.

"We have to together fight the threat to democracy and the Constitution. We have to fight the fascist forces... who are attacking democracy and the people of the country," Kharge said, assailing the forces "wearing the garb of communalism".

All Congress workers feel that the country cannot be sacrificed for a "tanashah" and "we have to together fight "these 'vinaashkari' (destructive) forces", he said.

Kharge said that former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi had called him an hour ago and congratulated him and said that together "we all have to work towards strengthening the Congress organisation".

The 80-year-old Dalit leader from Karnataka also appealed to all Congress workers and people of the country to join Rahul Gandhi in his Bharat Jodo Yatra which is a 'jan andolan' from Kanyakumari to Kashmir against price rise, unemployment and against those who are creating hatred and division in society.

Kharge also lauded Sonia Gandhi's leadership, saying "her tenure will be remembered for a long time". "I thank Sonia Gandhi ji who made personal sacrifice as she steered the party for 23 years," he said.

Sonia Gandhi along with Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had visited Kharge's residence and congratulated him.

He also thanked all those who participated in the organisational elections and made it happen, and also he gave best wishes to Tharoor.

Tharoor had earlier met Kharge at his residence and congratulated him on his victory.