Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge aced Karnataka challenge but two more tasks await him

Emerging stronger after quickly deciding on Karnataka leadership after some high drama, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has some immediate challenges to attend to – namely, resolving the crisis in Rajasthan and setting up the Congress Working Committee, as well as steering Opposition unity ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha elections.

The first non-Gandhi Congress president in 24 years, Kharge managed the Karnataka crisis without any damage to the party, strengthening his position and weakening his doubters in the party. With some help from the Gandhi family, he has also shown to his detractors that he is not a puppet and ensured that his decisions are executed without trouble.

A tough Opposition leader, Kharge convinced both Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar to accept a formula he arrived at after holding discussions with former party presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. He heard out the warring leaders and managed to keep his own preferences under check to thrash out a peace formula.

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Making all efforts to not take sides, Kharge consulted both parties. He even went to the extent of not sending any wrong signal by refusing to call Siddaramaiah for a meeting on Monday while Shivakumar abruptly cancelled his Delhi trip.

Kharge’s reasoning was that he should first meet the Karnataka Congress president and when the latter is sulking, he should not precipitate a crisis.

Shivakumar reciprocated it when he told Kharge that he would not have a problem if Kharge becomes the Chief Minister, while arguing against Siddaramaiah. The Congress president, who missed the Karnataka Chief Minister post at least thrice – the last being to Siddaramaiah in 2013 – did not fall for it, and patient but firm manoeuvring led to resolving the tussle.

Congress leaders expect Kharge’s recent success to add more weight to his actions in Rajasthan, where Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his younger rival Sachin Pilot are at loggerheads. Pilot wants a leadership change or an assurance for the year-end’s Assembly polls but veteran leader Gehlot is unwilling. Kharge has his task cut out and is likely to rope in his able assistants to work out a resolution.

Another one will be to name his Working Committee and team of office bearers. Kharge was elected as Congress president in October last year and the Raipur Plenary Session in February had authorised him to nominate members to the 35-member high-powered party panel.

Jockeying for a seat in CWC will soon begin amid questions about whether Kharge would accommodate Shashi Tharoor, who contested against him in the presidential election. He will also be naming his own team of General Secretaries. Sources said consultations on these would soon start.

He would also have to look at the Opposition matrix with more talks happening on building a consensus in the fight against the Modi government in the 2024 elections.