Race for KPCC President post: Kharge set to return to Karnataka politics

The leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, may very well want to return to Karnataka politics ahead of the 2018 assembly elections. With the race for the Karnataka Congress President's post heating up, Mallikarjun Kharge dropped hints of wanting to return to his roots. The Congress party is said to be weighing its options to relieve Kharge of his duties at the centre but the stakes are high for the party.

Mallikarjun Kharge is hoping to make a comeback to state politics as the State Congress President but relieving him from the position of the leader of the opposition is a tough decision for the Congress. Who will replace Kharge in Lok Sabha may be the first question but the post of Chairman of Public Accounts Committee also needs to be looked into.

Kharge, the most prominent Dalit leader of the Congress from Karnataka would like to be made the Karnataka Congress chief which would translate to him being the Chief Minister candidate. Kharge has always been disappointed with not being considered for the post of Karnataka Chief Minister and a win in the 2018 assembly elections under his leadership may bring that disappointment to an end.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday in Kalburgi, Mallikarjun Kharge said he would speak about the KPCC chief's post on Thursday. "Today is Buddha Purnima and I do not want to talk about politics. I will speak about the KPCC president post tomorrow," he said.

Is Kharge Congress' weapon against BJP's surge?

The Congress is in need of a strong agenda to counter the BJP's Hindutva agenda that the party is now advertising as development. It is no wonder that during his maiden visit to Karnataka, state in-charge general secretary Venugopal asked workers to concentrate on saving and further consolidating the party's Dalit vote bank. Dr G Parameshwar, another prominent Dalit leader has been at the helm of affairs in the state Congress and dissent against him has set it.

While appointing a D K Shivakumar to woo Vokkaliga voters or an S R Patil or M B Patil to woo Lingayat voters, the Congress would still be sharing community's votes with the JD(S) and the BJP. With a Mallikarjun Kharge the scenario changes. The AHINDA agenda of the Congress has been massively successful and the party wants to expand the same. With Siddaramaiah already entrusted with the responsibility of leading the party's campaign in the assembly polls, a Dalit leader at the helm of affairs in Karnataka will strengthen the party's traditional vote banks.

Kharge is undoubtedly a force to reckon with but with a lack of leaders from Vokkaliga community affecting votes in the Cauvery belt and lack of Lingayat leadership affecting votes in North Karnataka, the Congress may pretty much gift-wrap and present their votes to the BJP and the JD(S) in the regions.

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