Veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge elected new Congress president

New Delhi, Oct 19 (IANS): Mallikarjun Kharge was on Wednesday elected as the new Congress President after he received 7,897 votes, while his rival Shashi Tharoor managed to secure only 1,072. Although the counting of votes has ended, official results are yet to be announced. A total of 416 votes were declared invalid. Kharge's supporters broke out in dance and burst crackers outside the AICC headquarters here. He is likely to take charge next week a day after Diwali (October 23). For the first in over two decades, the Congress will get a non-Gandhi President.