'Best Suited to Lead Congress at its Crucial Juncture': Sonia Gandhi on Kharge’s 50 Yrs in Electoral Politics

Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday was all praises for the present party chief, saying Mallikarjun Kharge is best suited to lead the grand old party at the “crucial juncture” in which it finds itself. She said Kharge has always placed party organisation above personal interest, which makes him a strong organisational leader.

“…He has always placed party organisation above his personal interest… No matter how high or low the status of his colleague, Kharge ji has always been collaborative… Today he holds the Congress party at a crucial juncture… Those in power are subverting all those institutions, systems and principles by which India has thrived since independence… As a strong organisational leader, Mallikarjun Kharge is best suited to lead the Congress party…” she said.

During an address at the launch of the book titled Mallikarjun Kharge – Political Engagement with Compassion, Justice and Inclusive Development, felicitating Kharge’s 50 years in electoral politics, Gandhi said the national president has not only survived the unpredictable course of politics, but has risen higher in his career without compromising his ideology.

“50 years is a long period in politics. Shri Mallikarjun Kharge didn’t just survive its unpredictable course, he continued to rise higher and higher throughout his political career. Not once did he compromise on his ideology, not once did he drift away from the cause of the poor, and not once did he compromise on dignity and conduct to win a political battle,” she added.

Gandhi further said this is why Kharge stands tall as the President of the Congress.

The Congress national president, meanwhile, thanked all those who have written about him in the book and reminisced that he was only 29 years old when the Congress chose him to contest MLA elections. “…I would like to thank all the people who have written about me in this book… I am deeply touched by the message from all of you. What I have been able to contribute to the people of my constituency, my state and my country is because of the faith shown in me by the voters and the party leaders… When I was chosen to contest the MLA elections by the Congress party, I was only 29 years old…” he said.

Kharge further said he was an ordinary party worker and could reach this position because of India’s democracy and its Constitution. Stressing that both of these were in “danger” now, he said: “As an ordinary party worker, I could reach this position because of India’s democracy and our Constitution. Without democracy, there would be no opportunity for ordinary people to gain political and social rights in the country. I also cannot ignore the fact that today both the Constitution and our parliamentary democracy are in danger.”

He said this is because the people who are in power “do not believe in our Constitution, our flag, or the parliamentary democracy of government. They have said they are waiting for the right time to change all of these”.

“I have seen many challenges to the country over the last 50 years. The country has tried to address those challenges and will continue to overcome new challenges to emerge stronger. It will happen only when we are able to sort out our differences and come together… I would like to say that I hope that we will continue to stay united and fight unitedly,” the Congress chief said.

Kharge should lead battle for India’s soul: Opposition leaders

While Gandhi said Kharge should lead the Congress in the “historic battle for India’s soul”, leaders of some INDIA bloc parties urged him to bring strength to the opposition and lead it to victory in next year’s general elections. They used the book launch to stress that the Congress president should lead all opposition parties together so that they can win the 2024 elections.

DMK’s TR Baalu, CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury and RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha were among those who hailed Kharge’s leadership and called upon the opposition parties to give up their differences. Baalu said the DMK will extend all its support to the Congress, which has a high stature in the minds of the Indian public and this needed to be nourished not only till 2024 but later too.

Yechury said while efforts are being made to bring all opposition parties together, Kharge has a big responsibility to take them forward together while shedding their differences and ensuring victory in Lok Sabha polls. “It is not just my party, but the entire India wants that,” the Left leader said.

Top Congress leaders including chief ministers of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh – Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Baghel and Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu – were present at the event besides party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

(With PTI inputs)