‘I won’t be remote-controlled. That happens in BJP-RSS, not Congress’

'This entire bogey of remote control is raised by BJP people to defame and debunk Congress leadership,' says the Congress presidential candidate

At 80, Mallikarjun Kharge has embarked on perhaps the most important battle of his life – this time, for the post of Congress president, the polling for which was conducted on Monday. For a leader who has lost just one electoral battle in nearly 60 years of his political life, this battle was considered an easy one, despite the fact that he was pushed into the fray only at the last minute, after Ashok Gehlot declined to contest, preferring to remain Rajasthan Chief Minister. Kharge spoke to DH’s Shemin Joy on what this election means for him and the party.

What is your view on Shashi Tharoor's candidacy and contesting against you?

I welcome his candidature. We are not rivals but colleagues who believe in Congress ideology and our prime goal is to fight the BJP and RSS. I have entered the fray not to oppose anyone but to strengthen the party.

Also Read: Kharge wishes Tharoor, says both contesting to strengthen Congress

In a press conference after you filed the nomination for Congress president, you said you had spoken to Shashi Tharoor about choosing the party chief through consensus. Why do you think consensus is better than a contest?

After I declared my intention to contest, Shashi Tharoor called me over the phone out of courtesy. I told him it would be better if the party president is elected by consensus. He said that in a democracy, there should be a fight, and I told him that’s fine. If someone wants to fight an election, how can I tell him not to? And he is like a younger brother. This is an internal matter. Everyone will be united today, tomorrow. Had there been a consensus, it would have been welcome. But it’s an open election and I, too, welcome the contest.

You entered the fray at literally the last minute. Do you think the circumstances under which you did could have been avoided?

I had no intention of contesting. But then, senior party leaders and delegates approached me with a request that I must contest. They thought that I would be able to serve the party and take everyone along on ideology and action. I was already the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, with the rank of a cabinet minister. But I thought that if I didn’t listen to the voice of my party colleagues and continued with the perks of office, I would be letting them down. So, I decided to quit the post of Leader of Opposition and serve the party.

Also Read: Amid presidential poll, Congress leaders stress that Gandhi family guidance crucial in days to come

Congress is going through challenging times. If you are elected, what are your short-term and long-term strategies to arrest the decline of the party and ensure that it is back on track?

If you recall, we held the Udaipur Chintan Shivir in May this year and the party had come out with a detailed plan of action, which is now called Udaipur Declaration. The declaration was a result of threadbare, in-depth analyses of issues ranging from (Congress) organisation to the national economy, social justice, women empowerment, youth participation, foreign affairs, etc. My priority will be to implement the Udaipur Declaration, which is now a collective plan for the revival of the party.

What changes will you bring in the organisation structure if elected? Will you favour appointing vice presidents or a working presidents or zonal presidents? What is your strategy for 2024?

The Udaipur Declaration has already laid out the blueprint for a plan of action. If I win, I will consult my senior party colleagues and decide the action points.

You have said that you will not be remote-controlled. But the question of dual power centres is still there. How will you ensure the primacy of the Congress president in the party?

This entire bogey of remote control is raised by BJP people to defame and debunk Congress leadership, whereas the reality is that the entire BJP is remote-controlled by the RSS. They cannot speak well of anybody. It is reflective of the malicious intent of the BJP-RSS. Congress is a democratic party, which has always functioned through a consultative mechanism. I have over five decades of political and legislative experience, have worked in various capacities as minister and in the organisation, both in the state and at the Centre. All through this vast experience, I have realised that any change is not about an individual effort or individual power. That is why I believe in collective action and consultative processes. I believe in ‘we’ and not ‘I’. And we all will work together to overcome the challenges before the party.

With a non-Gandhi at the helm, what will be the role of the Gandhis in the party?

The Gandhi family is integral to Congress. It has contributed and sacrificed immensely, which is a historical fact. Sonia Gandhi has led the party for over two decades. It is natural for any party president to benefit from her vast experience. Also, Rahul Gandhi has hit the road, reaching out to the people of India directly, walking in the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. His hard work and commitment is already generating tremendous energy, and it will be the job of the party president to harness this energy into a potent force.