From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: Congress President Malikarjun Kharge may be the prime ministerial face of the Opposition front in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls to take on the challenge of Prime Minister led BJP as leader from Karnatka brings with him many first including fulfilling a long pent up demand of Dalit occupying country’s top executive chair.
While those in know of development are not ready to divulge details but one top leader said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is the prime mover of the idea. It is becoming increasingly clear that Rahul Gandhi’s prime objective is to defeat the BJP and not the prime ministerial chair. He has made abundantly clear even during his recent US visit that fight is between ideologies of Gandhi and Godse though many of the leader continue to assert that Rahul Gandhi is angling for the prime ministerial chair.
Different theories and speculations are circulating in political circles and in media about the postponement of the proposed meeting of the opposition parties on June 12 in Patna but fact is that neither the Congress nor top leaders of the opposition parties like Bihar and Tamil Nadu chief ministers Nitish Kumar and M K Stalin wanted a meeting to take place without adequate preparations on important issues like common agenda and prime ministerial face.
By bringing the name of Kharge as the prime ministerial chair, the Congress would be playing a brilliant stroke which in Cricket parlance would be akin to being caught on the wrong foot. The move would also help in reviving the political fortunes of the Congress in the biggest state of Uttar Pradesh that sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha. Leaders like four times state chief minister Mayawati redundant.
The postponement of the June 12 meeting in Patna, apparently “at the behest of the Congress and the DMK”, has led to various theories, including that it was an indication of “fault lines in the opposition unity framework”.
According to JD-U, the meeting was postponed to ensure maximum participation of top leaders. Nitish Kumar too,said on Monday that he wanted all parties’ chiefs capable of taking the decision to attend the meeting on June 12. Since that was not happening, it was decided to arrange a meeting after June 22.
At the same time, there are also reports indicating “lack of consultation by Nitish Kumar” before deciding June 12. Apparently, no consultations were held on the new date. Nitish Kumar should have consulted every party before deciding the date, some opposition leaders were quoted as saying.
Intelligence agencies and the ruling BJP are maintaining a close vigil over the developments in the opposition camp, BJP’s friend-turned-foe-turned-
He may also be nurturing aspirations of being the joint candidate of the opposition camp, some observers say.
So far he has held separate meetings with leaders of many parties, including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge (Congress), Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal (AAP), West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee (TMC) and NCP’s Sharad Pawar.
While Nitish Kumar is a ‘kurmi’ (OBC), Kharge is a ‘dalit’, even though he has largely never been seen capitalising on his caste identity. However, his appointment as the Congress chief came at a time when space for Dalit politics was opening up with the BJP pitching for it big time.
Observers, in fact, say that a “mere hint” that Kharge may be the PM face can act as the clincher for the Congress desperate for succession the national scene.
While his caste may be a big calling card in India’s caste-driven politics, after the Karnataka’ success Kharge has emerged stronger, almost like a patriarch in the Congress. The 80-year-old is the first non-Gandhi to occupy the post in the past severalyears.In the Congress’ long history, he is the third Dalit leader to become the chief with Damodaram Sanjivayya being the first and Jagjivan Ram the second.
After Karnataka, Congress is looking forward to taking on the BJP in Hindi heartland states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. The results there will show whether Kharge, whose calming effect showed on the Karnataka unit overflowing with CM aspirants, has it in him to keep various factions under check, particularly in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
If the Congress does manage to make a dent in the three Hindi heartland states, it would be seen as another feather in Kharge’ cap.
The question has always been raised by Dalit leaders. Notably, amid a war of words between BJP and Congress around the appointment of Indian-origin Rishi Sunak as the United Kingdom PM in 2022, BSP supremo Mayawati had targeted both the parties questioning why India has never had a Dalit PM.
“After Indian-origin Rishi Sunak’s historic appointed as British Prime Minister, here in India a Twitter war going on between the Congress and the BJP. Allegations and counter allegations are levelled everywhere, but no one is discussing about that political rights and justice due to which no ‘Dalit’ has been able to become Prime Minister in the country so far,” she had said.
