New Delhi: Half a century after Jagjivan Ram took office, the Congress could finally get another Dalit president. At 80, Mallikarjun Kharge begins as a heavyweight in perhaps the biggest election battle of his life.
On Friday, Kharge filed his nomination for the October 17 high-profile election along with his aides Shashi Tharoor and KN Tripathi. The nine-time MLA and two-time Lok Sabha MP later said he was fighting for a “big change” in the party.
Starting out as a student union leader, followed by a stint in labor politics, Kharge saw a steady rise in his stock in Karnataka politics. Even though he was recognized as a grassroots leader and continued to win election after election, he continued with SM Krishna, N. Elected Dharam Singh and Siddaramaiah as Chief Ministers.
First, Krishna became the CM in 1999. Then in 2004 when the Congress did not have enough numbers, the party formed an alliance with the Janata Dal (Secular). Dharam Singh has been selected for the top post. Kharge is said to have been annoyed but quietly accepted the party’s decision. In 2009, he was sent to Delhi to make way for Siddaramaiah. He then silently accepted the decision.
Perhaps this is the reason why many Congress leaders attest to his unwavering allegiance to the party. “He started his political career with the Congress and has been incredibly loyal to the organization all these years. Congress spokesperson and former Karnataka MP Rajeev Gowda said, the party has also recognized his efforts.
A lawyer by education, Kharge was born in Varvatti in 1942 to a Dalit couple. After joining the Congress in 1969, Kharge entered the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in 1972, winning from the Gurmitkal constituency. He remained MLA till 2009.
He entered the Lok Sabha that year and first served as Labor Minister and then took charge of Railways and Social Justice and Empowerment in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.
Gandhi family loyalists
Kharge said, ‘No one can weaken Congress or Sonia Gandhi Told In March when a disgruntled Kapil Sibal demanded that the Gandhi family should walk away from power on their own.
No one was surprised by the statement. In February last year, a Gandhi loyalist gave credit for “Loyalty and Commitment” After replacing Ghulam Nabi Azad as the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.
“He is a very strong contender for the post of Congress President for his administrative ability as well as his political experience. Except in the last election, he has an excellent track record of winning elections and has worked with many senior Congress leaders in the past,” said Dinesh Gundu Rao, a senior Congress leader and son of former Karnataka Chief Minister R Gundu Rao.
Kharge’s electoral track record supports his image of a grassroots leader. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress veteran won from Gulbarga despite a massive Modi wave in the country.
Kharge suffered in 2019 his first election defeat When he lost to BJP candidate Umesh Jadhav. However, the party compensated him by sending him to the Rajya Sabha in 2020.
“I worked closely with him when he became the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. As head of the Congressional Research Department, my job was to support him and our lawmakers. What strikes me about his style of work is that even at his age, he is incredibly hardworking, very focused and knowledgeable,” Rajeev Gowda told ThePrint. “He is able to get to the political dimensions of the issues very quickly in a fast way. He is very impressive in terms of his work ethic.”
A follower of Buddhism, Kharge has often expressed his admiration for social reformer BR Ambedkar. Congress leaders prefer to be recognized by their Dalit background. “I am a Dalit. It is true. But, I have reached here on the basis of my ability and hard work. Every caste and religion has supported me. Call me leader of Congress, leader of people. Only a Dalit not the leader,” he has been Cited as saying.
Gowda also reaffirmed the secular credentials of the veteran leader. “The one thing that sets him apart is his commitment to social justice. He is a practicing Buddhist, staunchly secular and rejects caste and discrimination.”
Gundu Rao said that people may not be aware of his qualities, but Kharge gets a lot of respect across party lines.
“He is ideologically very strong and a learned man. He is always reading. People don’t know many of his qualities because he doesn’t promote himself much or do any cheap gimmicks for recognition. There was no lack of recognition in him from the party side and the party has given him every position according to his ability. But it is true that except in the last 10 years, his national performance has been low,” the Congress leader told ThePrint.
Though Kharge comes from the Scheduled Caste community, Rao said, veterans never “take advantage” of their background. “Even in Parliament, he sits throughout the session. And, when he speaks, he is heard [by all] And commands great respect across party lines. ,
(Edited by Tony Rae)
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