Kharge meets party workers first time after taking charge as Cong president

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday met party workers and members from the public for the first time after he took charge last month.

Party workers queued up outside the AICC headquarters here since morning for the meeting and the new party president met them in his office one by one.

Kharge had taken charge as Congress president on October 26 in the presence of former party chief Sonia Gandhi. He was elected as the new Congress president on November 19 after he defeated Shashi Tharoor in a direct contest.

The party veteran had declared soon after his election that every worker and leader was equal for him and he would reach out to all to help strengthen the organisation. Kharge is the first non-Gandhi to assume the charge of Congress chief in 24 years. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have headed the grand old party in the past.