The 80-year-old Kharge, a nine-term Karnataka MLA and a three-term MP (twice Lok Sabha and currently Rajya Sabha) was always a firm favourite in the straight contest against Tharoor in the party poll held after more than two decades.
In 2005, Kharge was made president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KCC). He retained the position till 2008. In 2009, he was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for the first time.
Kharge will take place of Sonia Gandhi, who had been serving as interim president after Rahul Gandhi stepped down from the post following the party's debacle in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday said he will not withdraw his nomination for the party president after Mallikarjun Kharge entered the contest for the chief of the party.
