The Tuesday Interview | ‘Congress victory in Karnataka will change India’s atmosphere’: Kharge

All elections are important for me, Kharge said

For Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, the May 10 Assembly election is all the more important as he hails from Karnataka. In a chat with DH’s Bharath Joshi, Kharge criticises the BJP for seeking votes in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's name. He also anticipates some swing in Lingayat votes. Excerpts:

How important is the Karnataka election for Congress, keeping in mind the 2024 Lok Sabha polls?

All elections are important for me. The Karnataka election is more important because I come from this place where I won 11 out of 12 elections. I've come up right from the block level. That's why I know the pulse of the people. I hope this election will give good results for us. If we win, the entire atmosphere in India will change not only for my party, but for people who love secularism, respect the Constitution and democracy. They'll be happier.

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Is this a litmus test for you?

Any election my party contests is very prestigious for me. Here also, I'm fighting with the same spirit. Karnataka people want to remove this ‘40 per cent corruption’ government that provided a badly-managed administration with no infrastructure development and has spoiled the global name our beautiful Bengaluru city had.

The BJP claims pro-incumbency, and that PM Modi is still very popular with people. Will that be a factor?

How long will you fight in the name of Modi? Will Modi become the Karnataka CM? Will Amit Shah become the Karnataka home minister? Here, there are local issues -- there's 40 per cent corruption. If you are claiming pro-incumbency, then you should admit that Modi approves of the 40 per cent corruption. Contractors who complained and wrote to the PM, approached the CBI and everybody...they are sensible people. They challenged you. But you yielded and prayed to them that such issues shouldn't be taken up. Where's your pro-incumbency? Modi says everywhere: "Modi ko dekh ke vote do" (Look at Modi and vote). I went to Gujarat where he said that. He said that even in Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya...everywhere. It means the remote control everywhere is with him. It's not good for democracy.

Apart from increasing SC/ST reservation, the BJP government has taken a decision on internal reservation. What's your stand on that?

The SC/STs need not be under obligation. It's in the Constitution that reservation has to be proportional to the population. So, it's not a big thing. It's the gift of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who made efforts and provisions. Why didn't the earlier B S Yediyurappa government do it? Why didn't Modi or Shah instruct the state government then? They remembered backward classes, Dalits, that and this only now. Their philosophy is most dangerous to Dalits, backwards and minorities. Of course, minorities don't speak openly because votes will be polarised. My point is, you (BJP) follow Manu. You are Manuvaadis. How can you be the well-wishers of Dalits?

The Congress has demanded that the 2011 caste census be made public. Why didn't Congress release the findings when it was in power?

We worked on that. Finally, and naturally, some people were against it. But we prepared everything. A lot of money was spent. The intention was to release it. We couldn't because elections came. Why won't you (BJP) release the caste census now? We'll then know the per-capita income, education, land-holding and other details of castes. That'll help either improve their economic position or bring special measures to improve their status. There's no bad intention.

You've repeatedly asked your party colleagues here to work unitedly. Are you happy with the way they're working?

Yes, otherwise the Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Haath Se Haath Jodo programme, digital membership and rallies wouldn't have been successful. There's unity. But I must advise them whenever the occasion arises. That doesn't mean there's a divide.

Out of 210 tickets, Congress has fielded only nine women. Do you think more women could've been accommodated?

Yes. But in this male-dominated society, many people come from the block level saying, "She won't get elected." Such feedback from below makes it difficult. If the situation becomes good, definitely we will give more prominence to women. Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi are very firm on giving them tickets. That's why, in Jaipur, I passed a resolution that 50 per cent reservation should be given to SC/ST/backwards/women. Slowly, it'll be implemented.

Why didn't the high command allow Siddaramaiah to contest from two seats?

He's comfortable in his original seat (Varuna) and he said he'd contest from there. The BJP has adopted that formula (contesting from two seats) now to defeat D K Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah. That fear is not in us. Siddaramaiah will win with a thumping majority. We want his services for the entire state. Also, Shivakumar is needed. So is G Parameshwara, M B Patil...I can't name all of them. They'll campaign comfortably. Making them contest from two seats would mean they'll have to engage both here and there.

In the wake of recent developments, does Congress anticipate a swing in the Lingayat and Vokkaliga votes?

I believe people who join Congress -- Lingayat or Vokkaliga -- will transfer their votes to our party. When someone like Jagadish Shettar realises there's something wrong in the BJP, then people will also think. When such people are leaving, people will naturally think that BJP isn't giving full freedom to their leaders and they want to finish off the likes of Yediyurappa, Shettar and Laxman Savadi.