KALABURAGI: PM Narendra
Modi
’s decision to kick-start the national
campaign from Karnataka’s Kalaburagi district was a calculated move, aimed at sending a clear message on
Congress
president
Mallikarjun Kharge
’s home turf, which falls under
Gulbarga
Lok Sabha seat.
At that time, none of the parties had released their list of candidates and speculation was rife that Kharge, who had suffered his first and only electoral defeat since 1972 in the last Lok Sabha elections, would refrain from contesting again.
Kharge, 81, a Rajya Sabha member, eventually decided to stay off the ballot, marking a significant departure from his decades-long presence on Congress’s candidate lists for assembly and parliamentary elections from Gulbarga.
Kharge not being in fray is being viewed as a significant development, affecting optics not just for Congress but also for the coalition of opposition parties — INDIA — that he was instrumental in stitching together. Some INDIA members had even pitched Kharge as a potential prime ministerial candidate to take on Modi. Some local Congress insiders feel Kharge not contesting in the backdrop of PM Modi challenging him and ensuring BJP won in Gulbarga in 2019 could further impact the party’s image in the region.
But Karnataka minister and
Kharge
’s son, Priyank, said, “His decision to not contest is strategic to consolidate and focus on other winnable seats for Congress, given his stature as a national leader whose influence transcends the confines of a single constituency.”
Kharge, who has fielded his son-in-law, Radhakrishna, reiterated that he is at the forefront in Gulbarga and expressed confidence in INDIA coalition’s prospects nationally. “…These are, more than ever, people’s elections – people of India versus 10 years of antipeople policies of BJP, whose campaign will evaporate just like in 2004,” Kharge had told TOI a few weeks ago.
“There’s no doubt about victory,” Radhakrishna says, as he battles BJP attacks and soaring temperatures – it was 45°C on April 30, when TOI visited. Priyank, a key figure in Congress’s 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 realised why they should vote for Congress.”
Kharge-Modi Battle
The possibility of Kharge becoming PM in case of a fractured verdict has been speculated upon after his elevation as the chairman of INDIA coalition. Congress is even nursing ambitions of a post-poll alliance like in 2004. However, BJP has termed such anticipation “farfetched”, confident of returning to the treasury benches of Lok Sabha with greater numbers. Parliament has witnessed engrossing battles of wits and words between Kharge and Modi.
On Feb 5, Modi told Parliament: “…Even Kharge ji is saying ‘this time, it’s Modi govt’. Mr Speaker, I usually don’t get caught up in statistics. But I can see the mood of the nation; it will ensure NDA crosses the 400-mark.”
On Feb 7, he said: “I couldn’t say it that day, but I express special thanks to Kharge ji… I was listening very attentively to Kharge ji, and I was thrilled… One thing was very pleasing. I respectfully accept the blessing that he gave to NDA for 400 seats.”
Kharge, too, has been taking on Modi on a variety of topics, ranging from economic policies and social issues to matters of national security and governance. Modi has been clear with his messaging, launching his first election campaign from Kharge’s Kalaburagi (Gulbarga seat), rather than his own seat (Varanasi) or perceived Congress strongholds, signalling the significance of the region and the challenge posed by Kharge.
Former PM HD Deve Gowda had said, “If Congress wanted to make him the PM, it should have fielded him from Gulbarga… They didn’t make him CM even in 2018 when I had suggested it. Will they ever make him PM?”
High Stakes
In Gulbarga, Kharge is engaged in a high-stakes battle to reclaim the seat he lost to BJP’s Umesh Jadhav — a friendturned-foe — in 2019.
For Kharge, the defeat was an aberration as he held sway as an unbeatable Congress titan in the region until then. The Congress veteran, who played a crucial role in securing special constitutional status for Kalyana Karnataka region under Article 371(J), seems confident of defeating Jadhav, a Banjara who is seeking votes in PM’s name and Hindutva push.
BJP is accusing Kharge of pandering to minority interests, while Congress is selling its secular, inclusive agenda, highlighting BJP’s “failures”. After SCs, Lingayats are the largest community in this reserved seat, with around 5 lakh voters, followed by Muslims and land-owning Kolis — Kabbaligas — having 2.5-3 lakh voters each. Both BJP and Congress are vying for the votes of Lingayats and Kabbaligas. A strong performance by Kharge in Gulbarga could reinvigorate Congress’s prospects in the region and prepare the ground for the next assembly polls’ fight.
