New Delhi: As veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge formally took over as Congress president, outgoing party president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday said that she is “feeling relieved”.

She did her duty as party president to the best of her ability

The 75-year-old Sonia Gandhi, who is the longest-serving Congress chief, said that she did her duty as party president to the best of her ability. She also said that the biggest satisfaction is that the new party president is “very experienced”.

“I am confident Congress will be inspired and strengthened by Mallikarjun Kharge’s leadership,” Sonia Gandhi said while speaking at an event where Kharge formally took over as the Congress president.

She, however, said that the grand old party faces “many challenges” but with unity and strength it will move forward to tackle them as it has done before.

“My biggest satisfaction is that the new Congress president is very experienced and has risen from being an ordinary worker to such heights through his hard work,” she said.

“I did my duty as Congress president to the best of my ability and now feeling relieved as I would be free from this responsibility,” she added.