Will Mallikarjun Kharge return to State politics?

Amid Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala’s series of meetings with MLAs and Ministers in the recent past, there is speculation in the Congress circles that All-India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge might be making his way into State politics. Mr. Kharge turns 83 on July 21.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has explicitly said that he will be in the chair for the full five-year term, but has acknowledged that the party high command will decide on the matter. Mr. Kharge, too, has said that any decision is up to the party high command.

‘Power sharing’

A couple of months ago, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar reportedly told the party high command that he should be given the Chief Minister’s post after Mr. Siddaramaiah completes two-and-a-half years in office as per the “power-sharing agreement” between the two during the formation of the government in May 2023.

In this ongoing “power struggle” between the Chief Minister and his deputy, some leaders in the party believe there are possibilities of Mr. Kharge returning to State politics and becoming the Chief Minister.

In recent days, Mr. Kharge has vetoed some of the decisions taken by Mr. Siddaramaiah and they include the former’s letter to the Chief Minister over reported lapses in the implementation of the roster point system for promotions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe employees in government departments and rejection of a decade-old Socio-Economic and Educational Survey (caste census), which was the pet project of the Chief Minister. Mr. Kharge also reportedly withheld the names of candidates suggested by the Chief Minister to fill the four vacancies in the Legislative Council.

Gauging the mood

Mr. Surjewala’s one-to-one meetings with the party MLAs and Ministers have also been seen as a move to gauge the mood of the legislators and the meetings were held reportedly at the behest of Mr. Kharge and Mr. Shivakumar.

Mr. Kharge, who is the second leader from Karnataka to become the AICC chief after S. Nijalingappa, is a staunch loyalist of the Sonia Gandhi family. He has missed the Chief Minister’s post on a couple of occasions in the past. The veteran leader has served in various capacities, including as Union Minister and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.