Why Karnataka polls will be a litmus test for Congress chief Kharge

New Delhi: After taking over as the Congress President, Mallikarjun Kharge is set to face his first major political litmus test in his home state of Karnataka. Winning the forthcoming Legislative Assembly polls will be the Congress chief’s top priority to establish his position and authority in the grand old party. However, the road ahead is not expected to be easy.

Delivering the important southern Indian state to the grand old party is considered important to cement Kharge’s position and is also expected to raise his stature amongst the party cadre. Sources stated that it will be imperative for Kharge to ensure a victory as the Karnataka poll outcome is expected to set the tone for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. With a win in Karnataka, Kharge will also ensure that he steps out of the shadow of the party high command and holds his own in the grand old party, sources added.

The Congress feels that recent corruption charges against BJP’s legislator Madal Virupakshappa have dented the image of the saffron party, providing an opportunity for Kharge to score a home run by securing a win.

However, with the presence of two strong leaders, Pradesh Congress Committee chief DK Shivakumar and former Chief Minister and leader of the Opposition in Karnataka Legislative Assembly Siddharamaiah, the task ahead for Kharge is a tricky one and he will need to tread carefully.

The biggest challenge before the newly-appointed Congress chief will be to rein in factionalism in the party's state unit. With Shivakumar and Siddharamaiah both batting for their respective nominees for tickets, the Congress chief will need to put on a balancing act to keep the two powerful factions in good humour, sources said.

Both these factions have already started to make their political moves with the party high command and the Congress chief to wield influence over ticket distribution for the 224-member state Legislative Assembly which is set to go to polls in the next few weeks.

Shivakumar, a Vokkaliga leader, has a significant hold over voters from the Old Mysuru region. Similarly, Siddharamaiah, also popularly known as Siddu, belongs to the backward class Kuruba community and holds sway amongst the backward classes. The Congress cannot afford to seem to ignore any of these politically influential communities as it will be projected against the grand old party by the opposition.

Though the political pundits are giving an upper hand to Congress in the forthcoming Karnataka Assembly polls, the win is not a given as former ally Janata Dal-Secular is expected to play spoilsport for the grand old party in several constituencies.

Moreover, the role of the Congress chief’s son, Priyank, has also come under the lens of the party leaders. Many in the party are apparently not happy with the growing influence of Priyank, who is also a sitting legislator. Priyank’s constant presence with his father has been flagged to the senior leadership as many believe that he was practically running the party on his father's behalf, sources said. 

Keeping his son under check would also be another important assignment that Kharge would need to perform delicately.

Unless the newly-appointed Congress chief is able to resolve the various issues plaguing the grand old party the Bharatiya Janata Party too feels that it has a good shot at returning to power in the state.

Karnataka is electorally an important state for both Congress and the BJP as it elects 28 MPs to the lower house of the Parliament. Of these, the BJP had secured 25 seats with one seat secured by an NDA ally in the 2019 general elections. 

If the Congress is able to wrest the Assembly from the saffron unit, it can dent the BJP’s hopes to retain Karnataka's strength of seats in Lok Sabha in the 2024 polls. Holding on to Karnataka has become immensely important for the BJP with Prime Minister Narendra Modi set to seek a third term in the next general elections. The only way Mallikarjun Kharge will be able to answer his critics is by delivering Karnataka to Congress and in turn making the 2024 road tougher for the BJP.