Mallikarjun Kharge is an Indian politician and member of the Indian National Congress (INC). On 16 February 2021, he started serving as a Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha. Previously, he held the charge of the Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Labour and Employment in the central government and served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. On 19 October 2022, he was elected as the President of the Indian National Congress. [10]NDTV.Due to communal riots, his family were forced to flee from their native village, in Bidar, when Kharge was seven. Kharge lost his mother during these riots. Eventually, the family settled in Gulbarga (now Kalaburagi).Kharge was inclined towards politics as a student. From 1964 to 1965, he served as the General Secretary of the Students Union at Government Arts and Science College, Gulbarga. From 1966 to 1967, he was the Vice-President of the Students Union at Seth Shankarlal Lahoti Law College, Gulbarga.A keen sports player, he represented his college and university in hockey tournaments. He was also a skilled kabaddi and football player as a student and won many district and divisional-level prizes.After completing his formal education, he had a brief stint as a lawyer. In the beginning, he practised under Justice Shivaraj Patil. He fought for the rights of the trade union of MSK Mills and other industrial workers.In 1969, he ventured into active politics with INC and became the President of the Gulbarga City Congress Committee.After C.M. Stephen, who won a by-election in 1980, Kharge is the second MP elected from Gulbarga to be appointed as Union Cabinet Minister.He has served as the President of Sri Siddhartha Education Society, Tumkur (1974-1996) and President of the Karnataka People’s Education Society.He is the Founder-Chairman of Siddharth Vihar Trust and served as its President till 2012.He is a patron of the Chowdiah Memorial Hall, a cultural centre in Bangalore. Kharge lent his hand to the centre for its plans for renovation and to get over its debts.