Elections in two states this year, challenges to the two remaining Congress governments the following year, and then the 2024 fight to stop another Modi sweep, Mallikarjun Kharge officially became the party’s leader. However, he received more than just a certificate from the party. The 80-year-old was also eager to suggest a fresh course of action.
The experienced politician from Karnataka, who just last week defeated Shashi Tharoor, 66, in an interesting race, took Sonia Gandhi’s seat and praised her political views. “At her first public rally in Bengaluru in January 1998, Sonia Ji declared that Karnataka was teaching her first lessons in politics. Her politics have always prioritized sacrifice over purely serving one’s own interests and power grab.”
“Our nation is currently seeing political dishonesty and lies. The democratic system put in place by Congress is currently the target of attempts to modify it. However, Congress’s philosophy is based on the Constitution of India, and it is now necessary to protect it “.
Rahul Gandhi, who attended the event, continues to be the face of the party, and Mallikarjun Kharge is the first Congress chief from outside the Gandhi family in 24 years, which is why Mr. Kharge is accused of being a rubber stamp.
Regarding Rahul Gandhi, he stated that the historic Bharat Jodo Yatra he is organizing to spread the party’s message to the grassroots will run from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. He emphasized that Congress has done a lot of excellent things, citing the Right to Education, the MNREGA job guarantee program, and the Food Security Act. Despite that, the people are unhappy with them.
Consensus and consultation, according to Mr. Kharge, are the cornerstone of his leadership style. On October 24, he had a meeting with former prime minister Manmohan Singh. He visited Rajghat, Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial, this morning to pay respects.
Along with former deputy PM Jagjivan Ram, who was the first Dalit president of the Congress; Mr. Kharge is the second, he also paid tribute to previous prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, and Rajiv Gandhi at their memorials.
A harder test is in store for Mr. Kharge in 2023. Nine assembly elections will take place this year, including ones in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, the only two states with chief ministers who are members of the Congress.
The conclusion of Rahul Gandhi’s five-month Bharat Jodo Yatra, which the party hopes will aid it in preventing the BJP from performing another sweeping victory in the general elections of 2024, will also occur this year.
Since he started the race in 1969, Mr. Kharge is renowned for never losing an election, with the exception of the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Following the defeat in 2019, Sonia Gandhi introduced Mr. Kharge to the Rajya Sabha and appointed him as the opposition’s leader in February 2021. He has held the position of Congress leader in the Lok Sabha and has played a significant role in Karnataka since the 1970s.
News Mania Desk
