Congress set to get 1st non-Gandhi president after 24 years, Kharge, Tharoor fight it out in historic election

After much Kharge vs Tharoor uproar, Congress members across the country lined up to vote for their next party president, who, this time would be the first non-Gandhi party chief in 24 years. The party and its members have pegged the election as a mode to revive Congress.

"I have been waiting for a long time for this day," Congress chief Sonia Gandhi told reporters after voting at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters here.

Over 9,000 Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates form the electoral



college to pick the party chief in a secret ballot. The results will be declared on October 19.

Voting in the much-discussed elections began at 10 am at the AICC headquarters and at polling booths in PCC offices across the country.

“Satisfied with Congress' presidential poll process. Elections are free, fair, transparent,” said Madhusudan Mistry, the central election authority chairperson.

“Voting is going on smoothly. There are no complaints so far on polling from anywhere,” Mistry told PTI.