Over 9000 Congress leaders voted today to usher in a non-Gandhi as the party chief in more than 20 years. With veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge seen as the favourite, his opponent Shashi Tharoor said he was "confident" despite the odds.
The Congress will elect a non-Gandhi president after 22 years in today's presidential election.
The elections are being held three years after Rahul Gandhi stepped down from the top post after the second straight election defeat of the Congress in 2019. The 52-year-old, who is currently leading the party's "Bharat Jodo" yatra, has firmly refused to return as president despite unrelenting pressure from a section of leaders.
Sonia Gandhi, who had taken a step back from party responsibilities, was persuaded to make a comeback as its interim chief in August 2019.
