Mallikarjun Kharge today officially took over as the President of the Congress Party at a programme where the former president Sonia Gandhi handed over the baton to the newly elected Dalit leader.?

The election-in-charge for the Congress Madhusudan Mistry gave him the winning certificate. ?

Gandhi while delivering an emotional address to the party members said, “I am feeling relieved. He (Kharge) is an experienced and grounded leader. He has reached this position solely by his efforts. He is an inspiration for thousands of Congress party members.” ??

Referring to the impending crisis of democracy, she said, “The major problem in front of us is a democratic crisis. The way you people have democratically elected the president, I believe you people would follow the same in coming days. Congress earlier faced several crises and properly sunk through it.” ?

Before the scheduled programme, Kharge today visited Rajghat to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. He also visited memorials of former PMs Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, besides former deputy PM Jagjivan Ram, the first Dalit president of the Congress. ?

Kharge who defeated his opponent Sashi Tharoor in a huge margin has humongous tasks ahead as Himachal Pradesh is going to election on November 12. ?

Earlier, Kharge clearly said that he would consult with the party leaderships including the Gandhis before taking any decisions. Known for his ‘consultation and consensus’ efforts, the 80 years old Dalit leader will have to tread a difficult path, the political experts say. ?

Mallikarjun Kharge is taking over the Congress at a time when the party has been reduced to its bare minimum both in terms of legislative seats and popularity. ?