Octogenarian veteran Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge officially takes charge as Congress president. Says blue print of Sonia Gandhi will be carried forward !

The newly elected president of 135 year old Congress party has officially accepted the octogenarian leader Mallikarjun Kharge as its party chief at party headquarter 24 Akbar Road in the presence of former presidents Sonia, Rahul Gandhi and all senior leaders including hundreds of party workers amid chanting of pro Sonia, Rahul and Congress party slogans hailing him.

Addressing the crowd an old Congress and Nehru Gandhi loyalist Malikarjun Kharge has lauded and graciously thanked Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, senior leaders of the party, delegates and workers for electing and elevating him to such a significant post of the oldest party who rose from a block president to Congress president.

He was all praise for Sonia and Rahul Gandhi saying this this is an emotional moment for him who has been accorded such a huge honour being a son of working class father and an ordinary worker of the party thus sending him to the top, from block level to the post of a national president.

While expressing his indebtedness towards Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge assured one and all that the blue print of Sonia Gandhi will be carried forward and conclusive decisions taken on them, finally.

He emphatically said that fulfilling the dreams of Dr Ambedkar and following the constitutional tenets would be our prime duty.

Lauding Sonia Gandhi for the sacrifices made by her during her tenure as Congress president since the last 22 years, Kharge, terming them as exemplary said that today on behalf of crores of Congress workers I would like to express my heartfelt respect and admiration for the precious contribution of Smt.Sonia Gandhi ji.

He also lauded Rahul Gandhi for his historic Bharat jodo yatra terming it as a successful exercise to fill the country with energy and enthusiasm including the Congress leaders and workers.

He added that it is a matter of immense privilege for him to lead a party that was once led by great stalwarts like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhash Chandra Bose, Sardar Patel, Maulana Azad, Indira Gandhiji, Babu Jagjiwan Ram and Rajivji.

He was presented the certificate of election as Congress president by senior Congress leader and CEC of the presidential election Madhusudan Mistry.

The former Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi while expressing her jubilation over the election of Kharge as Congress president said she has full faith in his leadership that would inspire the entire party. She said she is happy that such a leader has been elected as Congress president who is highly experienced , connected to the grass roots having reached the top after being an ordinary Congress worker belonging to a modest background.

She added she is very much confident that the Congress party will be strengthened under his efficient leadership.

The chief minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot while congratulating Kharge on his new responsibility said that finally the wishes of Rahul Gandhi has been fulfilled who wanted a non Gandhi family leader to take the cudgels of party in his hands.

He also lauded Smt Sonia Gandhi for efficiently running the affairs of Congress as its chief during the last 22 years despite language issues forming Congress government in several states.

Meanwhile former Congress president who had cut short handed s Padyatra of Bharat Jodo to be present in this function, to join it later on, has congratulated Mallikarjun Kharge on his taking over the charge of Congress president, officially.

He tweeted : Congratulated our new Congress President, Shri Mallikarjun Khargeji and wished him the very best as he takes on this huge responsibility towards the Congress party and the people of India tweeted Rahul Gandhi.

The general secretary incharge ( organisation) has meanwhile informed through a tweet that all the CWC members, AICC general secretaries and incharges have tendered their resignation to the party chief. This exercise was necessary in order to form the AICC again under the directions of the the new president Mr. Kharge. In another tweet Venugopal wrote : Sonia Gandhi is stepping down from the post of Congress president, but not from our hearts. We are deeply indebted to her for leading the party with such grace and elan for more than 2 decades. He matured and pragmatic leadership will be a source of inspiration for her successors tweeted Venugopal.

Prominent leaders present on this ocassion were both CMs Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Singh Baghel, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh, former speaker Meira Kumar, Sonia, Priyanka, Rahul, Ajay Makan, Madhusudan Mistry, Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, Tariq Anwar, Harish Rawat, Hooda, Surjewala, Digvijay Singh, several other central and state leaders, MPs and almost all central office bearers.