Congress will be strengthened by Kharge's leadership: Sonia Gandhi

New Delhi: The Congress faces many challenges but with unity and strength it will move forward to tackle them as it has done before, outgoing party chief Sonia Gandhi said on Wednesday.

Speaking at an event where Mallikarjun Kharge formally took over as the Congress president after he was handed over the certificate of election to the top post, Gandhi said she is confident that the Congress will be inspired and strengthened by his leadership.

She said it is her biggest satisfaction that the new Congress president is very experienced and has risen from being an ordinary worker to such heights through his hardwork.

Gandhi said she did her duty as Congress president to the best of her ability and was feeling relieved as she would now be free from this responsibility.

The Congress faces many challenges but with full strength and unity "we have to move forward and succeed" she said.

Kharge is the first non-Gandhi to head the party in 24 years. He succeeds Sonia Gandhi, the longest-serving party chief.