With Kharge opting out, Congress debates right candidate for Kalaburagi
If state Congress leaders insist on him contesting the election, Kharge may push the candidature of his son-in-law Radhakrishna Daoddamani
With Congress president M Mallikarjun Kharge deciding against plunging into the Lok Sabha battle, the Congress in Karnataka is wondering whom to field in Kalaburagi against a powerful Congress-turned-BJP leader Umesh Jadhav.
Reclaiming the Kalaburagi seat from the Bharatiya Janata Party is politically vital for the Congress, as Mallikarjun Kharge lost to Umesh Jadhav of the BJP in 2019 after two consecutive victories, in 2009 and 2014.
Kharge's son-in-law
With Kharge out of the race, the Congress could field his son-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani from the seat.
Congress sources say that fielding Doddamani will force both Mallikarjun Kharge and his son and Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge to take a personal interest in ensuring his victory.
Initially, Congress leaders in Karnataka were uneasy after the senior Kharge opted out of the Lok Sabha contest, more so since the party had suggested only his name from Kalaburagi, formerly Gulbarga.
Kharge reportedly decided against contesting the general elections following a request from party leaders who need the Congress chief to take care of bigger tasks without getting embroiled in political campaigning for his own seat.
Sole authority
A senior Congress functionary told The Federal: “Kharge will weigh in on most candidates in Karnataka. In a way, he will be the sole authority on deciding candidates in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region.”
If state Congress leaders insist on him contesting the election, the senior Kharge will push the candidature of his son-in-law for Kalaburagi through Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar, said a senior Congress leader who knows Kharge well.
Getting set for the contest in Kalaburagi is BJP leader Umesh Jadhav, who defeated Kharge in 2019. Before he joined the saffron party, Jadhav was a Congress MLA. He resigned from his Assembly membership in March 2019.
Umesh Jadhav was once a confidant of the Kharges. His decision to desert the Congress stemmed from his opposition to the alleged autocratic style of functioning of Priyank Kharge.
Jadhav, a medical doctor by profession, belongs to the Lambani community, which has a strong presence in Kalaburagi. With the community support and a Narendra Modi wave, Jadhav triumphed over Kharge last time.
Kharge’s innings
According to BJP sources, the party has decided to give another chance to Jadhav in 2024, to give a tough fight to the Kharges.
Kharge was nine times MLA from Gurmitakal in Kalaburagi district and represented Kalaburagi twice in the Lok Sabha. The Lok Sabha constituency comprises eight Assembly segments: Afjalpur, Jewargi, Gurmitkal, Chittapura, Sedam, Kalaburagi Rural, Kalaburagi South and Kalaburagi North.
Except for Gurmitkal (JD-S) and Kalaburagi Rural (BJP), all other six MLAs are from the Congress.
The Kalaburagi Lok Sabha segment is essentially a Congress bastion, and it held sway there from 1952 to 1996. The Congress again won from the constituency from 1999 to 2019.
For Mallikarjun Kharge, considered a formidable leader of the Hyderabad-Karnataka region, his prestige could be at stake. He may want to ensure the Congress comes on top in Kalaburagi, whoever is the candidate.
Will that candidate be Doddamani? The next few weeks may reveal the name.
