New Delhi: A lot was made within the run-up to the Congress presidential elections of Mallikarjun Kharge’s 55-year affiliation with the occasion, however a incontrovertible fact that didn’t get a lot consideration is that Kharge is just the third Dalit to carry that publish within the occasion’s historical past of 137 years.
Celebration insiders mentioned Kharge isn’t eager on that description of himself. He’s learnt to have mentioned in lots of conversations that in his lengthy political profession, he achieved what he did on “advantage and never on caste id”, including, “Indira Gandhi made me the block president”.
That, nevertheless, doesn’t alter the truth that previous to Kharge, the occasion that was as soon as seen because the pure selection for the poor and the backwards had solely two different males from the scheduled castes at its organisational helm.
The primary Dalit ever to turn out to be Congress president was Damodaram Sanjivayya, former Andhra Pradesh chief minister, who held the publish twice. Following the break up of the Congress in 1969, Jagjivan Ram grew to become president of Congress (R), the faction headed by Indira Gandhi.
By the way, Kharge counts Sanjivayya as one in all his inspirations in politics.
Kharge was a last-minute entry into the presidential race after the unique “favorite”, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, dropped out, inflicting a lot embarrassment to the occasion. Gehlot’s withdrawal was preceded by a riot in Rajasthan spurred by who would succeed him as CM if he’s elected the president, ought to the occasion abide by the “one man, one publish” norm adopted within the Udaipur declaration earlier this yr.
That’s when Kharge got here in because the “selection” of the management although the official place is that the Gandhi household has not taken any sides within the contest. Kharge describes himself as a candidate put up by PCC (Pradesh Congress Committee) delegates, the very constituency that votes within the Congress presidential elections.
“This [Kharge’s election] could be very vital for the occasion. It comes at a time when Rahul Gandhi is traversing the nation on his Bharat Jodo Yatra along with his message of unity and then again, we’re getting a Congress president who belongs to a deprived caste himself. This may join Dalits, backwards and the poor as soon as extra with the occasion. Politically, we are going to reap the advantages of this transfer,” mentioned P.L. Punia, former Rajya Sabha MP and ex-chairman of the Nationwide Fee for Scheduled Castes.
There may be, nevertheless, additionally an alternate viewpoint inside the occasion about whether or not or not efforts must be made to focus on the caste id of its new president.
“India is a younger nation. Our common age is 25 years and one factor about younger individuals is that they’ve aspirations. They need to obtain issues in life they usually need to do this on their very own steam, not due to the caste they had been born into. We should always perceive and respect these aspirations as an alternative of slipping into the temptation of doing politics because it has been historically achieved,” mentioned a senior All India Congress Committee (AICC) functionary who didn’t want to be named.
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Man who by no means grew to become CM
Kharge has twice been chief of opposition within the Karnataka Meeting, in 1996 and 2008. He was additionally among the many contenders for the publish of chief minister in 1999 — when it went to S.M. Krishna as an alternative — and in 2004, when the occasion selected to go along with Dharam Singh.
His aides mentioned that a number of instances through the Congress presidential marketing campaign, Kharge joked: “I wished to turn out to be chief minister. However they’re making me Congress president.”
Kharge was a protege of former Karnataka chief minister Devaraj Urs in whose cupboard he grew to become a junior minister for the primary time in 1976. He subsequently grew to become a state minister and a Union Cupboard minister however by no means the chief minister.
That’s among the many aspects of political historical past that newly re-elected Communist Celebration of India (CPI) common secretary and former Rajya Sabha MP D. Raja talks about when tracing the connection of the Congress occasion with Dalits, the opposite being the truth that Jagjivan Ram by no means went on to turn out to be prime minister although he did function deputy prime minister.
“Who they [Congress] elect as president is their prerogative however in Indian society, there are three primary points: class, caste and patriarchy. As Ambedkar mentioned, wherever you go, caste is a monster that crosses your path. So, Kharge’s election will certainly ship a message. There could also be a aware effort by the Congress occasion to make use of it,” he advised ThePrint.
Instantly after submitting his nomination for the Congress presidential elections, Kharge resigned from the publish of Chief of the Opposition within the Rajya Sabha in consonance with the “one man, one publish” rule.
“Within the final eight years or so for the reason that BJP authorities got here to energy, Dalits have been feeling remoted and focused. This [election] will give them ethical energy, a voice, and likewise give Congress some benefit in gaining again votes which in lots of instances, it misplaced to regional events throughout the nation,” mentioned a senior Congress chief on situation of anonymity.
Dalit political area opening up
With the Bahujan Samaj Celebration’s political footprint receding — it has solely 10 MPs within the present Lok Sabha — and interventions of supremo Mayawati turning into few and much between, many really feel there’s room in Dalit politics for a mainstream occasion and Kharge’s ascension might give Congress the proper profile.
Smaller events with a Dalit base like Chandra Shekhar Azad’s Bhim Military or Prakash Ambedkar’s Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh have restricted and localised bases. The Bharatiya Janata Celebration (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) have historically taken the stand that caste isn’t one thing that must be overtly highlighted in political discourse, with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat calling for the caste system to be discarded.
Nevertheless, political analyst Sudha Pai factors out that, within the run-up to the presidential elections, Congress or Kharge himself have made no effort to focus on the Dalit id of its foremost contender.
“It has not been talked about a lot. I don’t assume anyone is placing nice significance to that. Kharge could be very a lot his personal man; he has been a minister, a pacesetter of opposition. He has a standing within the occasion, a really tall chief from Karnataka who’s revered by all. If Congress chooses to focus on it sooner or later, which will give them some benefit however it all is determined by how Kharge needs to play it as soon as he turns into president. We have now to attend and watch, I suppose,” Pai advised ThePrint.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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