Mallikarjun Kharge faces multiple challenges in new role as Congress chief

Mapanna Mallikarjun Kharge (80) will the new President of the Congress after an electoral college of 9,385 voters elected him: he got 7,897 votes, leaving the only other rival, Shashi Tharoor far behind (1,072) votes, with 416 votes declared invalid. He is the first non-Gandhi president of the party in more than 20 years.

Many had predicted Kharge’s victory, but party MP Rahul Gandhi, currently on a padayatra in Andhra Pradesh, clearly expected Kharge to win, not Tharoor. During an interaction with reporters, Gandhi said his role in the party will be decided by the new president, adding to another