Bengaluru: Coincidence? Or a well-timed manouvre? At a time when Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s ‘man of the people’ image has been dented by the series of farmers’ suicides across the state and it’s investment-friendly reputation rocked by criticism, senior party leader in the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge threw caution to the winds and signalled he is keen to step into the Chief Minister's shoes.
With some 55 Congress MLAs making a bee-line to the veteran Congress leader's home to wish him on his 74th birthday on Tuesday, the normally cautious leader declared to reporters at his residence on Tuesday morning, that he was keen to come back to state politics.
Mr Kharge’s banter with reporters, when he asked them “do you have the list of legislators (who want me to come back to state politics)? If you have, please give it to me,” fooled no-one. Coupled with a four page paid pullout in a local daily which extolled Mr Kharge’s contribution to the society, it set off speculation the reticent leader had the blessings of the high command. Congress leaders who have known Mr Kharge for a very long time also said “There is more to this than meets the eye.”
The development assumed significance in the backdrop of the backlash faced by the party in the farmers’ crisis, with many Congress legislators upset over how Mr Siddaramaiah’s pro-rural image, built on the Anna Bhagya scheme, had been damaged.
Insiders close to Mr Kharge have told Deccan Chronicle that the veteran had told party chairperson Sonia Gandhi two months ago that he was keen on the chief minister’s post, and was looking at a changeover as early as this coming August.
So close, yet so far
- 1999: Mallikarjun Kharge was leader of Opposition in the Assembly when elections were held, but lost out to KPCC president Mr S M Krishna, and held the number two position, as home minister.
- 2004: Congress could muster only 65 seats in Assembly polls as compared to 79 of BJP, and 58 of JD (S). He missed out again as JD (S) president H D Deve Gowda agreed to a coalition headed by Mr Dharam Singh with Mr Siddaramaiah, state unit chief of JD (S), as deputy CM.
- 2008: The BJP won 110 seats, Congress 80 seats, and JD (S), 28. The role of five independents was crucial in formation of the government. This time, Mr Deve Gowda agreed to back Mr. Mallikarjun Kharge, who was KPCC chief, and to put together another coalition with the help of independents. Congress general secretary in charge of Karnataka, Mr Prithviraj Chavan, dragged his feet even as BJP swiftly roped in the independents to form government.
- 2013: Mr Kharge, in the Union cabinet, threw his hat in the ring once the Congress won 121 seats in the Assembly elections but left the Congress office in a huff when party observers led by Mr A K Antony announced the leader would be chosen through secret ballot.
