Bengaluru: With the Congress eyeing a better tally in the Lok Sabha in the 2019 general elections, the party on Friday picked veteran and party leader in the Lok Sabha M. Mallikarjuna Kharge as AICC general secretary for Maharastra which sends 48 MPs to the Lok Sabha.
The Maharashtra Congress has been faction ridden ever since former Shiv Sena leader, Sanjay Nirupam was made Brihan Mumbai Congress committee president.
Party stalwarts like former union minister, Gurudas Kamat had openly criticised him over his functioning style and that of outgoing AICC general secretary, Mohan Prakash and has quit too.
Several leaders from Maharashtra had been gunning for Mr Prakash and Mr Nirupam's ouster from their respective posts in the last two years.
“Apart from this, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president, Ashok Chavan, is seen as a reluctant MPCC head. He is reportedly at constant war with leaders like Prithviraj Chavan, Manikrao Thakre, and even Sanjay Nirupam which has created more fissures within the party. Hence, the party thought of brining a stalwart like Mr Kharge to guide state affairs," a senior leader told this newspaper on the condtion of annonymity. The leader added that Mr Kharge was not only a senior leader but also shares a good rapport with several top Maharastra leaders as he was election committee chairman of Maharastra for quite a while.
“He is also considered to be a team player, hence, Congress president, Rahul Gandhi picked him for this job,” the source explained.
The source added that Mr Kharge cannot be taken lightly in Maharashtra by anyone including these top leaders despite their egos. "Mr Kharge is a much taller leader now, as he enjoys a good equation with camps owing allegiance to both UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi and Congress president, Rahul Gandhi. Hence, it will be difficult for leaders to take him lightly. Therefore, Mr Kharge's appointment assumes significance," the source claimed. Mr Kharge who hails from Kalburgi district in Karnataka which shares borders with Maharshatra, has his task cut out to improve the electoral performance of the party which took a beating from the ruling BJP in the 2014 elections.
Mr Kharge knows Mahar-ashtra well and his vast experience will help reverse the tide for Congress, which was relegated to the fourth position in Maharashtra in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
