"Senior Congress leader, Shashi Tharoor, who lost the party’s presidential poll against Mallikarjun Kharge, on Thursday talked about the election outcome with Sonia Gandhi and said, “Was not upset as it was clear from the beginning that the establishment of the party will rally behind my opponent (Mallikarjun Kharge).” Tharoor said, “I'm not upset, it was clear from the beginning that the establishment of the party will rally behind my opponent. I spoke to Sonia Gandhi and she said that it's not surprising that most of the party members would back one of their own.” The Congress elected its first non-Gandhi president in over two decades with veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge sweeping the party polls, and rival Shashi Tharoor finishing a distant second.