Mallikarjun Kharge
Mallikarjun Kharge | |
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74th President of Indian National Congress | |
Assumed office 26 October 2022 | |
Preceded by | Rahul Gandhi |
Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha | |
In office 16 February 2021 and 17 December 2022 – 1 October 2022 and Incumbent | |
Chairman | Venkaiah Naidu Jagdeep Dhankhar |
Prime Minister | Narendra Modi |
Preceded by | Ghulam Nabi Azad |
Leader of Indian National Congress, Lok Sabha | |
In office 4 June 2014 – 16 June 2019 | |
Preceded by | Sushilkumar Shinde |
Succeeded by | Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury |
Chairperson of Public Accounts Committee | |
In office 2016–2019 | |
Appointed by | Sumitra Mahajan (Lok Sabha Speaker) |
Preceded by | K V Thomas |
Succeeded by | Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury |
Minister of Railways | |
In office 17 June 2013 – 26 May 2014 | |
Prime Minister | Manmohan Singh |
Preceded by | C. P. Joshi |
Succeeded by | D. V. Sadananda Gowda |
Minister of Labour and Employment | |
In office 29 May 2009 – 16 June 2013 | |
Prime Minister | Manmohan Singh |
Preceded by | Oscar Fernandes |
Succeeded by | Sis Ram Ola |
Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly | |
In office 19 December 1996 – 7 July 1999 | |
Preceded by | B. S. Yediyurappa |
Succeeded by | Jagadish Shettar |
In office 5 June 2008 – 28 May 2009 | |
Preceded by | N. Dharam Singh |
Succeeded by | Siddaramaiah |
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha | |
Assumed office 12 June 2020 | |
Preceded by | Rajeev Gowda |
Constituency | Karnataka |
General Secretary of AICC and Incharge for Maharashtra | |
In office 22 June 2018 – 11 September 2020 | |
Preceded by | Position Created |
Succeeded by | H. K. Patil |
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | |
In office 31 May 2009 – 23 May 2019 | |
Preceded by | Iqbal Ahmed Saradgi |
Succeeded by | Umesh. G. Jadhav |
Constituency | Gulbarga |
President of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee | |
In office 2005–2008 | |
Preceded by | Janardhana Poojary |
Succeeded by | R. V. Deshpande |
Member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, Karnataka | |
In office 1972–2008 | |
Preceded by | N. Yenkappa |
Succeeded by | Baburao Chinchansur |
Constituency | Gurmitkal |
In office 2008–2009 | |
Preceded by | Vishwanath Patil Hebbal |
Succeeded by | Valmiki Naik |
Constituency | Chittapur |
Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of Karnataka | |
In office 1999–2004 | |
Chief Minister | S. M. Krishna |
Minister of Rural Development, Government of Karnataka | |
In office 1978–1980 | |
In office 1990–1992 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Warwatti, Bhalki taluka, Bidar district, Hyderabad State, British India (present-day Karnataka, India) | 21 July 1942
Political party | Indian National Congress |
Spouse(s) |
Radhabai Kharge (m. 1968) |
Children | 5 |
Alma mater | Government College, Gulbarga Gulbarga University |
Mapanna Mallikarjun Kharge (born 21 July 1942) is an Indian politician. He is the Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha from Karnataka and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha from 17 December 2022.[1] He is the Minister of Railways and Minister of Labour and Employment. Kharge is a member of the Indian National Congress (INC) political party.[2] He was a Member of Parliament for Gulbarga, Karnataka from 2009 to 2019. On October 19, 2022, Kharge was elected as the President of the Congress Party.
Early life and education
[change | change source]Mallikarjun Kharge was born on 21 July 1942 in Varavatti village, which is in Kalaburagi district (formerly Gulbarga) in Karnataka, India. He belonged to a poor family and faced many difficulties in his early life. His family belonged to the Dalit community, which faced social and economic challenges in India. He studied at Government College, Gulbarga and later earned a law degree from Seth Shankarlal Lahoti Law College. Before entering politics, Kharge worked as a lawyer and helped people with labour and land issues.
Political career
[change | change source]Kharge started his political career in the 1960s by joining the Indian National Congress. He was first elected as a Member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in 1972 from Gurmitkal constituency. He won nine consecutive times in state elections, which made him one of the most successful politicians in Karnataka.
During his long political career, Kharge held many positions in the Karnataka state government, such as:
- Minister for Education
- Minister of Home Affairs
- Minister of Water Resources
- Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly
National politics
[change | change source]In 2009, Kharge was elected to the Lok Sabha (the lower house of Parliament) from Gulbarga. He was re-elected in 2014. During his time in the central government, he served as:
- Minister of Labour and Employment (2009–2013)
- Minister of Railways (2013–2014)
He was known for his speeches in Parliament and for standing up for workers’ rights and social justice.
Rajya Sabha and party leadership
[change | change source]After losing the 2019 general election from Gulbarga, Kharge was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2020. On 17 December 2022, he became the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. [3]
On 19 October 2022, he was elected as the President of the Indian National Congress, [4] [5] becoming the first person outside the Nehru-Gandhi family to hold the post in over two decades.
Personal life
[change | change source]Kharge is married to Radhabai Kharge, and they have children. One of his sons, Priyank Kharge, is also a politician and has served as a minister in the Karnataka state government.
References
[change | change source]- ↑ "Congress names Mallikarjun Kharge for leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha". The Times of India. 12 February 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
- ↑ "Spectacular rise for Kharge". The Hindu. 29 May 2009. Archived from the original on 2 June 2009. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
- ↑ "Know about the New Congress President". Indian National Congress. 29 October 2022. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
- ↑ "'No need for self-praise': Mallikarjun Kharge takes swipe at PM Modi, calls for Parliament session". The Economic Times. 1 June 2025. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
- ↑ "President of the Indian National Congress". Indian National Congress. Retrieved 4 June 2025.