Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.
Credit: PTI File Photo
AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge becoming the I.N.D.I.A chairperson will up his stakes in his home state of Karnataka, but the question of whether or not he will contest the Lok Sabha polls remains unanswered.
According to sources, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi wants Kharge to contest. However, the 81-year-old veteran is not keen, citing his age.
In 2019, Kharge suffered his first electoral loss from Gulbarga against BJP’s Umesh Jadhav. Before that, Kharge was undefeated in 11 straight elections - nine times as an MLA and twice as MP. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2020.
Kharge has been requested to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Uttar Pradesh so as to fill up a vacuum created by BSP’s Mayawati. There is also talk in political circles that Kharge may shift to Kolar, which will be a ‘safe’ seat.
“If he contests, it will be from Gulbarga and nowhere else,” one source close to Kharge said. “He may choose not to contest due to age. Many don’t realise that he’s already doing a lot at 81.” According to Congress leaders, Kharge as head of the Opposition alliance would help the party consolidate SC/ST and minority votes in Karnataka.
“This will be coupled with the push for a caste census, which holds sway in the backward areas of the Hindi heartland,” one leader said.
“Expectations will be high just as how Congress under him was expected to win Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka.”
Kharge is also said to have an influence over 47 seats in North India. “It’s not that people outside Karnataka don’t know Kharge. He’s been in national politics for over a decade. People do relate with him as far as his (Dalit) identity is concerned. Due to his fluency in Urdu or Dakhni, his reach is far wider than any South Indian leader in the recent past,” the leader explained.
Reacting to Kharge becoming the I.N.D.I.A chairperson, leader of the Opposition R Ashoka mocked the Congress. “In Congress, all responsibilities are on the shoulders of Kharge and (Karnataka Congress president) D K Shivakumar. But power is for (Chief Minister) Siddaramaiah only. While native Congressmen carry the palanquin, it is the migrants who get paraded. This is the Congress’ irony,” he said.