IN PHOTOS | Mallikarjun Kharge elected as Congress' first non-Gandhi president in over two decades

The Congress party elected veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge as its first non-Gandhi president in 24 years. He will take charge on October 26. With no Gandhi family members in the fray, the election came three years after Rahul Gandhi resigned from the top post citing the Lok Sabha poll debacle in 2019.

The Congress party elected veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge as its first non-Gandhi president in 24 years. He will take charge on October 26. With no Gandhi family members in the fray, the election came three years after Rahul Gandhi resigned from the top post citing the Lok Sabha poll debacle in 2019. (Photo | Parveen Negi, EPS) 

Out of the 9,385 votes polled in the Congress presidential polls, Mallikarjun Kharge got 7,897 votes, Shashi Tharoor secured 1,072 votes, and 416 votes were declared invalid. (Photo | PTI)

Tharoor congratulated Kharge in a letter saying, 'Our new President is a party colleague and senior who brings ample leadership and experience to the table.' (Photo | PTI)

Kharge will replace Sonia Gandhi, the longest-serving party president who has been at the helm since 1998, barring the two years between 2017 and 2019 when Rahul Gandhi had taken over. (Photo | PTI)

Congress central election authority chairman Mistry on Monday expressed satisfaction with the party's presidential polls process, saying it was 'free, fair and transparent'. He also said it was a secret ballot and no one would get to know who voted for whom. (Photo | PTI)

Kharge will replace Sonia Gandhi, the longest-serving party president who has been at the helm since 1998, barring the two years between 2017 and 2019 when Rahul Gandhi had taken over. (Photo | PTI)

Ahead of the polling, Kharge had said he would have no shame in taking the advice and support of the Gandhi family in running the party affairs, if he becomes its president. (Photo | PTI)

Tharoor, on his part, took a veiled dig at some senior leaders supporting Kharge, saying that some colleagues were 'indulging in 'netagiri' and telling party workers that they know who Sonia Gandhi wants elected'. (Photo | Parveen Negi, EPS)