Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge is contemplating not contesting in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, stirring concern among those who believe the party chief should be on the electoral frontlines. Kharge, who has a unanimous nomination from the Gulbarga constituency in Karnataka, seems to focus on a larger role beyond individual constituencies, hinting at nominating his son-in-law, Radhakrishnan Doddamani, for the position. While he has had success in the past with two consecutive victories in Gulbarga, his defeat in 2019 led to his current tenure in the Rajya Sabha, serving as the Leader of the Opposition.
There is a historical precedent within the Congress for chiefs to run for elections, with both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi having done so. Even in the BJP, top leaders like Rajnath Singh and Amit Shah have contested and won seats. Despite this, Kharge, along with other senior leaders such as Ashok Gehlot, Kamal Nath, Digvijaya Singh, Harish Rawat, and Sachin Pilot, seems to be stepping aside in favor of other members or their kin.
This trend is seen across several states where discussions have taken place for select Lok Sabha seats but some veterans have expressed disinterest in running. For instance, Gehlot supported his son Vaibhav for Jalore, while Rawat preferred his own son Virendra as his replacement, citing health concerns. Amidst these selection dynamics, there’s uncertainty regarding alliances and constituency assignments due to the delimitation exercise. For example, the situation with Gaurav Gogoi looking to shift to Jorhat, his late father’s stronghold, is still unresolved. The Congress Central Election Committee is set for another discussion on March 15, which will cover states with significant political influence such as Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab.