Man of immense resilience

New Delhi, October 19

Congress president-elect Mallikarjun Kharge is already being hailed across party circles as “destiny’s own child”. The description fits the veteran well. He was an unexpected entrant into the race for the top post, surfacing only after Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot retreated from the contest choosing state politics over an AICC role.

Kharge’s case was the reverse. He would always be remembered as a Congress president who could never be chief minister. Despite a commendable nine-term run as Karnataka MLA, he never held the top post in the state. He lost the race first to SM Krishna and then Siddaramaiah. A man of immense resilience, Kharge, however, never let this lost opportunity get the better of his loyalty to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who went on to reward him repeatedly and generously.

Kharge was a minister in the UPA regime, leader of the party in Lok Sabha in 2014 when the Congress was down to a historic low of 44 MPs and then Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha starting February 2021. He resigned as LoP after filing papers for party president’s election. In his victory today, the old Congress warhorse has scripted a great deal of history. He is the second SC president of the Congress in nearly half a century, after Babu Jagjivan Ram demitted office in 1971. He is also the first non-Gandhi to head the party in 24 years, since Sitaram Kesri was ousted by the Congress Working Committee in 1998.

The only Congressman who has become party president having previously served as Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Kharge traces his political journey to the Gulbarga city Congress committee which he chaired in 1969. The man with humble beginnings from Bidar’s Varvatti went on to win his first MLA election in 1972 after then PM Indira Gandhi gave him the ticket. There was no looking back. He stayed an MLA for 37 years, never losing an election except in 2019 when he was defeated from the Gulbarga seat.

For most part of his 53-year political journey, Kharge remained a quintessential Karnataka politician, moving to the national scene only with his 2009 General Election win from Gulbarga. A new and immensely challenging national role now awaits him.

Several firsts

• Second Scheduled Caste leader to lead the Congress after Babu Jagjivan Ram demitted office in 1971
• First non-Gandhi to head the grand old party in 24 years since Sitaram Kesri was ousted in 1998
• Nine-term MLA, he never lost a poll except in 2019 when he was defeated from the Gulbarga Lok Sabha seat