At that time, neither party had released its list of candidates and there was speculation that Kharge, who had suffered his first and only electoral defeat since 1972 in the last Lok Sabha election, would refrain from contesting again. Kharge, 81, a Rajya Sabha member, ultimately decided to abstain from voting, a significant departure from his decades-long presence in the Congress candidate list for the assembly and parliamentary elections from Gulbarga.
Kharge’s absence from the fray is being seen as a significant development, impacting not only the Congress but also the alliance of opposition parties – Bharatiya Janata Party – which he was instrumental in bringing together. Some members of the Indian Parliament had also projected Kharge as a possible prime ministerial candidate to counter Modi. Some local Congress insiders believe that Kharge is not contesting the elections in the backdrop of PM Modi challenging him and ensuring BJP A victory in Gulbarga in 2019 could further impact the party’s image in the region.
But Karnataka ministers and KhargeHis son Priyank said, “His decision not to contest is strategic for the Congress to consolidate and focus on other winnable seats, given his stature as a national leader with influence across a constituency.” is beyond its limits.”
Kharge, who has fielded his son-in-law Radhakrishna, reiterated that he is the frontrunner in Gulbarga and expressed confidence in the Bharat Alliance’s prospects at the national level. Kharge had told TOI a few weeks ago, “…this is an election of the people more than ever – against the people of India versus 10 years of anti-people policies of the BJP, whose campaign will vanish like 2004.”
“There is no doubt about victory,” says Radhakrishna, as he battles BJP attacks and rising temperatures – on April 30, when TOI visited, it was 45 degrees Celsius. Priyank, a key figure in the Congress campaign, says: “Things have improved with every passing day of our campaign. BJP cannot repeat its 2019 performance. Some communities, especially the Kolis and Kurubas, have now realized why they should vote for the Congress.
Kharge-Modi fight
In the event of a fractured mandate, the possibility of Kharge becoming PM has been speculated after he became the president of India Alliance. Like 2004, Congress is also harboring the ambition of forming an alliance after the elections. However, the BJP has termed such hopes as “far-fetched”, and is confident of returning to power in the Lok Sabha with higher numbers. Parliament has witnessed an interesting battle of wits and words between Kharge and Modi.
On 5 February, Modi said in Parliament: “…even Kharge ji is saying ‘This time, it is the Modi government’. Speaker Sir, I don’t usually get stuck in numbers. But I am talking about the country. Can see the mood; it will ensure that NDA crosses the 400 mark.
On February 7, he said, “I couldn’t say it that day, but I give special thanks to Kharge ji… I was listening to Kharge ji very attentively, and got thrilled… One thing is very pleasant. Was. I respectfully accept the blessing he has given to NDA for 400 seats.
Kharge has also been targeting Modi on various topics ranging from economic policies and social issues to national security and governance matters. Modi has been clear in his messaging, starting his first election campaign from Kharge’s Kalaburagi (Gulbarga seat) rather than his own seat (Varanasi) or so-called Congress strongholds, indicating the importance of the region and the challenge posed by Kharge. Is.
Former PM HD Deve Gowda had said, “If Congress wanted to make him PM, it should have fielded him from Gulbarga… They did not make him CM even in 2018, when I had suggested. Will they ever make him Prime Minister?”
high stakes
In Gulbarga, Kharge is engaged in a tough fight to regain the seat he lost to friend-turned-foe BJP’s Umesh Jadhav in 2019.
This defeat was a big mistake for Kharge because till then he had influence as an unbeatable Congress leader in the region. The veteran Congress leader, who played a key role in securing special constitutional status for the Kalyan Karnataka region under Article 371 (J), is confident of defeating Banjara Jadhav, who is seeking votes in the name of the PM and Hindutva. Are.
The BJP is accusing Kharge of promoting minority interests, while the Congress is selling its secular, inclusive agenda by highlighting the BJP’s “failures”. After the Scheduled Castes, Lingayats are the largest community in this reserved seat, with around 5 lakh voters, followed by Muslims and land owning Kolis – Kabbaligas – with 2.5-3 lakh voters each. Both BJP and Congress are competing for the votes of Lingayats and Kabaligas. Kharge’s strong performance in Gulbarga could reinvigorate Congress’ prospects in the region and prepare the ground for the next assembly election battle.
