Kharge Remains in the Limelight as Election Results Due on December 3
The Congress president, Mapanna Mallikarjun Kharge, is going to be in the limelight as the five states—Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, and Mizoram—announce election results on December 3. Being considered the representative of the Gandhi family, Mallikarjun Kharge was elected Congress President in 2022, beating Shashi Tharoor. Mallikarjun Kharge accumulated 7897 votes during the election, while Tharoor was restricted to 1072 votes.
Since then, Mallikarjun Kharge has been at the forefront of attacking the BJP, and some of his emphatic remarks on the BJP leadership, particularly on PM Narendra Modi, sparked controversy. However, it is an undeniable fact that, being the president of the party, Mallikarjun Kharge showed unwavering confidence during the era of turmoil, which in turn provided a sense of direction for the Congress.
Until Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress was reeling under severe despair due to the electoral defeats, including the 2019 general election. Mallikarjun Kharge“s allegations were not mere empty words but accusations with conviction. During the election campaign, Mallikarjun Kharge raised the increasing unemployment rate as a testimony of the BJP government”s economic mismanagement. In order to fortify his claims, he quoted the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy”s (CMIE) data, which shows India”s unemployment rate rose to 8.3% in September 2023, the highest level in a year.
Mallikarjun Kharge has also shed light to the International Monetary Fund”s (IMF) data as evidence to India”s deteriorating economic growth. The data showed that the growth may slow down to 6.8% in 2023–24, from 7.3% in the previous year. However, the BJP argued that 6.8% is considered to be higher given the global economic recession conditions.
Mallikarjun Kharge also highlighted the increasing retail inflation rate, which is floating above RBI”s target. According to Mallikarjun Kharge, rising inflation is a testimony to the BJP government”s financial mismanagement. Moreover, Mallikarjun Kharge attacked the BJP for using state machinery, such as the ED and the CBI, to harass its opponents. This is glaring evidence of silencing the voice, dissent, and curtailing freedom of speech, according to Mallikarjun Kharge.
Mallikarjun Kharge has always been a vocal critic of the BJP”s Hindutwa agenda. According to him, BJP leaders are using rhetoric to harm the country”s secularism. He also accused the BJP of undermining the judiciary and the media. On the corruption front, Mallikarjun Kharge indicated corruption in the purchase of Rafale fighter jets from France. He has accused the government of helping Reliance Industries.
Mallikarjun Kharge has also criticized the BJP government for its role in the AgustaWestland helicopter deal, a corruption scandal that involved the purchase of helicopters for the Indian Air Force. Congress faced the assembly elections leaning on the prop provided by Mallikarjun Kharge.
If the Congress performs well in the elections and emerges as the leading opposition party, Mallikarjun Kharge”s importance as a national leader and his influence within the party will likely increase. However, if the Congress performs poorly in the elections, not only Mallikarjun Kharge but also the Gandhi family may face increased criticism, as it is the Gandhi family who recommended Mallikarjun Kharge for the presidential candidate in order to mitigate the dissenting voices made by leaders such as Shashi Tharoor and the members of the G-23 group who wrote a letter to Sonia Gandhi, the then-president of the Congress, in August 2020, calling for major reforms within the party.
