Once bitten, twice shy: Will Mallikarjun Kharge become AICC president this time?

After Congress's disastrous performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and Rahul Gandhi's subsequent resignation as the party president, former Union Minister Mallikarjun Kharge was deemed as the one to take over the post.

He did not succeed eventually, but it seems that a second chance can knock at his door this time if a non-Gandhi leader is chosen to helm the organisation.

Kharge, who was recently elected to the Rajya Sabha, had a 45-minute meeting with Congress President Sonia Gandhi last week, which is seen as an indication of a prominent central role for him in the party.

Though what transpired between them is unknown, the meeting triggered speculation about Kharge being in contention for the post of AICC president as it took place soon after the letter by 23 leaders was delivered to Sonia Gandhi.

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Gandhi has expressed her desire to give up the post of party chief and apparently, Kharge was being sounded out for a central role. His name is also doing the rounds as the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, as the tenure of incumbent Ghulam Nabi Azad ends in February next year.

Kharge, who will arrive in the national capital on Tuesday to attend a Parliamentary Committee meeting, is likely to meet Sonia.

Last year, soon after Rahul Gandhi resigned as the party president, Kharge's name was doing the rounds as the possible successor.

Apart from being a Dalit leader, Sonia was keen on him as he is considered loyal to the party and had impressed with his performance as the party leader in Lok Sabha from 2014 to 2019. Kharge had also consented for the new assignment.

The veteran leader's candidature was endorsed in the zonal consultations that took place during the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting last year by a large section of leaders, next only to Rahul Gandhi. Only a handful backed AICC General Secretary Mukul Wasnik.

However, when the party was about to finalise Kharge's name, former Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia raised a red flag and convened a meeting of young leaders. In the meeting, the young brigade questioned why only the elders in the CWC shortlist the names and demanded that young leaders should also be engaged in the consultation.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh also tweeted saying that a young leader should be made the AICC president, virtually batting for Scindia or the then Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot.

Meanwhile, some senior members of the CWC put a spanner in the works by saying that Kharge is too old and it will be difficult for him to travel all over the country. And the same group of leaders batted for Wasnik aggressively. However, the latter candidate failed to garner support from a large number of leaders in the CWC.

Finally, the battle between the seniors and the juniors concluded in Sonia becoming the interim president and Kharge lost his golden opportunity.

Once again, Kharge's name is doing the rounds, and one has to see whether he will be lucky this time.