Congress president-elect Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said no one in the party is big or small and he will work as a true Congress soldier to strengthen the organisation.

He will formally take over as the Congress president on October 26 from Sonia Gandhi who has been at the helm since Rahul Gandhi resigned after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Addressing a press conference after he was declared elected as the party's president, Kharge said for him every Congress worker is equal and all have to work together to fight the fascists forces threatening democracy and the Constitution.

Kharge defeated Shashi Tharoor in the electoral contest by polling 7,897 of 9,385 votes. Tharoor got 1,072 votes, while 416 votes were declared invalid.

He said by holding organisational elections, the Congress has shown the country how internal democracy is strong in the organisation.

"No one is small or big and we have to all work like karyakartas (workers) to strengthen the organisation," Kharge said.

"We have to together fight the threat to democracy and the Constitution. We have to fight the fascist forces... who are attacking democracy and the people of the country," Kharge said, assailing the forces "wearing the garb of communalism".

All Congress workers feel that the country cannot be sacrificed for a "tanashah" and "we have to together fight "these 'vinaashkari' (destructive) forces", he said.

Kharge said that former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi had called him an hour ago and congratulated him and said that together "we all have to work towards strengthening the Congress organisation".

The 80-year-old Dalit leader from Karnataka also appealed to all Congress workers and people of the country to join Rahul Gandhi in his Bharat Jodo Yatra which is a 'jan andolan' from Kanyakumari to Kashmir against price rise, unemployment and against those who are creating hatred and division in society.

Kharge also lauded Sonia Gandhi's leadership, saying "her tenure will be remembered for a long time". "I thank Sonia Gandhi ji who made personal sacrifice as she steered the party for 23 years," he said.

"I want to thank Sonia Gandhi on behalf of all party workers. Under her leadership, we formed our government at the Centre twice.”

Sonia Gandhi along with Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had visited Kharge's residence and congratulated him.

He also thanked all those who participated in the organisational elections and made it happen, and also he gave best wishes to Tharoor.

Tharoor had earlier met Kharge at his residence and congratulated him on his victory.

The Rajya Sabha MP further said he would work together with party leader Rahul Gandhi who is currently headlining the Bharat Jodo Yatra and had cast his vote for the election from a campsite in Karnataka.

Kharge also congratulated his opponent in the election, Shashi Tharoor. “I want to congratulate my partner Shashi Tharoor as well. I met him and discussed how to take the party forward."

“We have to unitedly fight against the fascist forces that are attacking the democratic institutions under the garb of communalism,” he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on his election as party president on Wednesday and wished him a fruitful tenure.

"My best wishes to Shri Mallikarjun Kharge Ji for his new responsibility as President of @INCIndia. May he have a fruitful tenure ahead," Modi tweeted.

Congress's central election authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry announced Kharge's name after the counting of votes and said that of the total 9,385 votes polled in the Congress president poll, Kharge got 7,897 votes and Tharoor received 1,072 votes. The rest of the 416 votes were declared invalid.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi congratulates Mallikarjun Kharge on being elected as the President of the Congress party.

"Congratulations to Mallikarjun Kharge ji on being elected as the President of @INCIndia. The Congress President represents a democratic vision of India. His vast experience and ideological commitment will serve the party well as he takes on this historic responsibility," he wrote.