By Sushil Kutty
Earlier last week, just before the Mumbai meeting of the opposition grouping INDIA, talk switched to naming Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge ‘convener’ of INDIA. Then, for no apparent reason, all such talk went out the window. After a series of calculated Modi government leaks, the importance of “being Mallikarjun Kharge” appeared to limit itself to being the father of Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge. So much so, the importance of being Priyank Kharge started overlapping the importance of being Mallikarjun Kharge.
That being said, the importance of being Kharge is intrinsically linked to the importance of being Rahul Gandhi, and of the importance of being Sonia Gandhi, both within the Congress and in India’s political firmament. Mallikarjun Kharge wasn’t the first choice for Congress President but after his election, he is the first non-Gandhi Congress president in nearly a couple of decades, which has its own significance.
Also, Kharge wasn’t the Gandhi family’s first choice for Congress president. That privilege went to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. But circumstances conspired and Gehlot played truant leaving open the field to Kharge to become the Congress President. With that the importance of being Mallikarjun Kharge went up multifold.
Today, Kharge is closer to Rahul Gandhi than any other Congress politician including general-secretary in-charge ‘Organization’ KC Venugopal, who is never far from the Gandhi scion. In fact, Rahul Gandhi these days is always at Kharge’s elbow. Pictures and videos tell the story eloquently. In one video, Rahul Gandhi is seen pouring a glass of water for Mallikarjun Kharge. Priyank Kharge couldn’t have done the chore better. That single gesture spoke of the importance of being Kharge to the Gandhi family.
In his own unobtrusive manner, Mallikarjun Kharge has eased himself into close proximity to the real centre of power in the Congress. And for a while there, following the formation of ‘INDIA’ and the panic in the BJP, Mallikarjun Kharge even looked like a good fit for the ‘PM face’ of INDIA. If the Congress on its own manages to get 100-plus Lok Sabha seats, Kharge could be the Congress ‘PM face’. Being a Dalit to boot makes all the difference. Under favourable conditions, none of the other INDIA constituents would stand in the way of a Kharge-for-PM call. Having said that, Kharge’s supporters can continue to savour that possibility as chances of such a probability cannot be ruled out.
Kharge’s years in politics and the positions he has held in the Congress, and in the administration, are qualifications that speak of the incredible importance of being Kharge in today’s India. All that Kharge should do is reign in his son Priyank Kharge. A quick tongue could be boon as well as bane. Priyank Kharge is a “grown-up lad” not an accidental politician with only the gift of gab. Leave that to the man who lost to Kharge – Shashi Tharoor.
Priyank Kharge should know that the importance of being Mallikarjun Kharge is set to play out in the next 6-10 months. And at this crucial time when India is being pitted against Bharat, the importance of being Congress president cannot be undermined. Mallikarjun Kharge has been chosen to play a very important role in the India journey and the importance of being Mallikarjun Kharge cannot be eroded.
The next INDIA meeting in New Delhi could still name Kharge convener of INDIA. In fact, the alliance should name a convener. And Kharge is a good choice for the post. There is a kind of stolidity about Kharge that inspires confidence. Kharge has the support of all constituents of the INDIA grouping.
Perhaps, this is another indication of the importance of being Mallikarjun Kharge. Convener of INDIA will absolutely make him an automatic choice for INDIA’s ‘PM face’. And if the convener is also Dalit the message that will go out will be a game-changer. The importance of being Mallikarjun Kharge is that he is Dalit and a south Indian, and in ‘Amrit Kaal’ for a Dalit to become “Prime Minister of Bharat”, would be the crowning glory of “India that is Bharat”. Narendra Modi could retire from politics with that accomplishment written to his illustrious name. (IPA Service)
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