Mallikarjun Kharge

Mapanna Mallikarjun Kharge (born 21 July 1941) is an Indian politician, who is the current president of the Indian National Congress since 2022, and Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha from Karnataka since 2020. He is currently serving as Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha since 17 December 2022. He was also Leader of Indian National Congress, Lok Sabha from 2014 to 2019 and chairperson of Public Accounts Committee (India) from 2016 to 2019. He was formerly the Minister of Railways from 2013 to 2014 and Minister of Labour and Employment from 2009 to 2013 in the Government of India. Kharge was a Member of Parliament for Gulbarga, Karnataka from 2009 to 2019. He was also general secretary of All India Congress Committee and incharge for Maharashtra from 2018 to 2020. He is a senior Karnataka politician and was the Leader of opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from 1996 to 1999. He was the President of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee from 2005 to 2008. He was a member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from Gurmitkal Assembly constituency from 1972 to 2008 and from Chittapur Assembly constituency from 2008 to 2009 and Ministry of home affairs, Government of Karnataka from 1999 to 2004 and Rural development from 1978 to 1980. He defeated Shashi Tharoor in the 2022 Indian National Congress presidential election. He is known for his record of defeating all his opposition candidates in his lifetime career except one. Early life and background Mallikarjun Kharge was born in the Varawatti, Bhalki Taluk, Bidar district, Karnataka in a Dalit family.