A year on, Mallikarjun Kharge is getting the job done in Congress

Dismissed as a puppet, the party president has been a surprise package, as he fixes the organisation before poll challenges

In 2008, as Rahul Gandhi interacted with students of Dharwad’s NTTF institute during his tour of Karnataka, Mallikarjun Kharge stood waiting outside. The veteran leader, then the Karnataka Congress chief, wanted to go in but Rahul’s security officers wouldn’t let him. The drama played out for 15 minutes.

It is said that Rahul had to be persuaded to let Kharge in.

Remarkably, Kharge didn’t kick up a fuss over this and dealt with it in a Zen-like manner – avoiding anger and being patient. The rough and tumble of politics had taught him the importance of waiting when overlooked. Kharge embraced the way of waiting.

A little over three weeks from now, Kharge will be completing one year as the Congress president, as he steers the party towards a new narrative. By the looks of it, Kharge has settled in nicely.

Now, Rahul drives to Kharge’s residence for consultations and sits in meetings chaired by the veteran leader. The amiable Kharge has stamped his authority, without ruffling the delicate feathers of the Gandhi family.

The new responsibility has not changed him, his partymen vouch, as he continues to value consultation and consensus to get the party battle-ready.

The first non-Gandhi to occupy the chair in 24 years, the 82-year-old is accessible to leaders and workers, unlike his predecessors (if he is not available, his office is ready to listen to suggestions, demands, complaints).

Kharge’s undimmed loyalty was what prompted his predecessor Sonia Gandhi to lean on the veteran after her plans to hand over the reins to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot were scuppered by the latter through brinkmanship.

“There were low expectations from Kharge,” political commentator Rashid Kidwai told DH. “He was not the first choice for the post. Also, he was pitted against Shashi Tharoor who the media projected as a man of ideas. There was a view that Kharge will be a puppet. But he has turned the tables but without ruffling feathers.”

In the past 11 months, Kharge has navigated warring leaders to peaceful shores, instilled confidence in the cadre by holding detailed meetings for the Lok Sabha election and made decisive organisational appointments as he got down to brass tacks. 

In the grand old party, filled with competing interests and head-spinning intrigue, this is no mean achievement.

“Rahul Gandhi sitting in meetings with state leaders for hours shows what he thinks about the exercise Kharge has undertaken. In these meetings, leaders are allowed to speak freely. This was not possible before Kharge. He is non-partisan. There is some accountability,” said a senior leader.

Drawing on the experiences of past non-Gandhi presidents P V Narasimha Rao and Sitaram Kesri, Kharge has not gotten into direct conflict with the Gandhis.

If the Gandhis are allowing Kharge to manoeuvre, the Congress president is aware of his limitations. He did not go for radical changes in the party, prompting some to hurl the ‘status quo’ barb at him.

On the other hand, he is making the party more ideological. Here, he has found an able ally in Rahul. Leaders say without Kharge, the Congress would not have plunged into social justice plank the way it has.

For Kharge, the victory in his home state, Karnataka, added much weight. The sceptics acknowledged the strategist in Kharge who brought both Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar together.

He would use the same tactics to defuse the political time bombs ticking away in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

Rajasthan was a difficult case for Kharge. As a senior observer, he could not set in motion the process for leadership change after Gehlot was sounded out for the top party post. The CM’s supporters got the better of him.

But when he became party president, he didn’t hold it against Gehlot and deftly worked out a compromise formula that balanced the power equations between the CM and rebel Sachin Pilot. 

In poll-bound Chhattisgarh, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel got a deputy in TS Singhdeo, a claimant for the top post in the state, while Tamradhwaj Sahu is in the CWC.

But in Madhya Pradesh, Kharge plays a different tune, giving a free hand to Kamal Nath owing to his seniority. The Congress president makes his moves cautiously.

He avoids giving sermons on party discipline but asks leaders to ponder about his possible fate had he rebelled when he was overlooked for the post of Chief Minister of Karnataka thrice.

Outside the party, senior Opposition leaders also find it comfortable to engage with Kharge. 

This has led to speculation about Kharge, a Dalit, becoming the face of the I.N.D.I.A bloc in case it stands close to forming a government. Reports even suggest that the Samajwadi Party wants Kharge to contest from Uttar Pradesh, where the Congress is in disarray.

“Kharge is very accommodative. He doesn’t come with a big brother attitude,” said a senior Opposition leader.

But the road ahead for Kharge and the Congress is not easy. Winning the upcoming Assembly elections in five states and the Lok Sabha polls will be a big challenge. As Kidwai put it, there is no silver medal in politics.