Mallikarjun Kharge

Mallikarjun Mapanna Kharge (Kannada: [malːikaːrd͡ʒun kʰɐrɡe]; born 21 July 1942) is an Indian politician and lawyer serving as the President of the Indian National Congress since 2022 and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha since 2021. He has been a Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha from Karnataka since 2020.

He began his career in state politics, serving as a member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from Gurmitkal Assembly constituency from 1972 to 2008 and from Chittapur Assembly constituency from 2008 to 2009. Kharge served as the leader of the opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from 1996 to 1999, president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee from 2005 to 2008, and as a minister in many portfolios under various chief ministers.

Kharge joined national politics when he was elected as the Member of Parliament for Gulbarga, Karnataka, serving from 2009 to 2019. During the UPA 2 government, he served as the Minister of Railways from 2013 to 2014 and Minister of Labour and Employment from 2009 to 2013 in the Union Cabinet. He was also a general secretary of the All India Congress Committee, in charge for Maharashtra, from 2018 to 2020. He was also the chairperson of Public Accounts Committee in the 16th Lok Sabha from 2016 to 2019. After being elected a member of the Rajya Sabha for Karnataka in 2020 following his defeat in the 2019 Indian general election, he defeated Shashi Tharoor in the 2022 Indian National Congress presidential election to succeed Sonia Gandhi. Under his presidency, the Congress gained 47 seats in the 2024 Indian general election, forming the official opposition for the first time since its defeat in 2014. He is a close ally of the Nehru-Gandhi family.