It was an easy contest for veteran political leader Mallikarjun Kharge to win the ‘Iron Throne’ of 137-year-old Congress but as he takes control of this “sinking ship” what awaits him is a herculean task to steer the party, which is gasping for survival, through tough times and correct its course to take on the mighty Bharatiya Janata Janta’s juggernaut and stop its winning streak in 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
80-year-old Kharge defeated underdog Thiruvanthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor as the counting of votes for the Congress presidential elections takes place on Thursday. Kharge, who was considered as choice of Gandhi family and had the backing of several senior leaders and majority of state PCCs, bagged 7897 votes while his rival Tharoor got only 1072 votes. As many as 416 votes were rejected during the counting. Over 9,500 delegates voted on Monday to choose the successor of Sonia Gandhi.
Here are five most challenging tasks awaiting Kharge as he assumes the charge of Congress president:
Rebuilding Confidence and Stopping Exit of Leaders
Congress has witnessed the exit of several big leaders in the recent years. Among the first of his tasks will be to bring back confidence in party and lead it to the revival path. He needs to sit with various factions of the party together and discuss their grievances. Meetings with the top brass might resolve their concerns and also boost their confidence in the party.
Building Formidable Election Machine
With less than two years left for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Kharge will have a tough job building an election machine for the Congress to defeat the BJP. Several state Assembly elections in the run-up to 2024 would give him an opportunity for a mock test before deploying it for the Lok Sabha elections. Leading from the front, Kharge as Congress president, would need to a give a fresh strategy which resonates with the workers.
Organisational Reforms
As pointed out by G-23 leaders, Congress needs organisational reforms and Kharge can be its torchbearer. He would need to work regional working presidents and vice-presidents to take crucial decision. He would also need to see that Empowered Action Group-2024 make a strategy for polls and chalk a roadmap for the future.
Bridging Generational Divide
Kharge has to play a big role in bridging divide between the young leaders and old guard. He needs to give rightful space to young turks and also ensure senior Congressmen do not feel sidelined. It will be a big test for Kharge to get take care of Rajasthan situation where Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot are taking on against each other.
Forging Opposition Unity & Retaining UPA Allies
Before 2024 polls, Congress would need to work on bringing opposition parties under the UPA to fight elections together, giving the alliance an advantage over the BJP. Telangana CM K Chandrashekhar Rao and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar have been meeting other political parties to forge an alliance for 2024. It would be good for Congress to be onboard and fight together rather than fielding candidates against each other.
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