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Party sources said unlike in Haryana, where Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was not too involved in the campaigning, he was keen and insisted on becoming a part of the poll strategy for Maharashtra
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge naturally breaks into Marathi even during press conferences, where the state media turns up. (Image: PTI/File)
Maharashtra is close to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s heart. And, why not? He speaks fluent Marathi and, in fact, during most of his campaign in the poll-bound state, he has largely spoken the language.
Kharge was also the Maharashtra incharge at one point, and not just this, he ensured that the party’s foundation day was celebrated in Mumbai when he became the president in 2022. Also, sources said unlike in Haryana, where he was not too involved in the campaigning, he was keen and insisted on becoming a part of the poll strategy for the western state.
So much so that he has held more rallies in the state than other Congress leaders, especially the Gandhis, who seem to be willing to let the party chief have his way. He naturally breaks into Marathi even during press conferences, where the state media turns up, and his ease with the language is an added advantage.
So, no surprises, that the poll battle here will be remembered as Kharge versus Yogi Adityanath. The rest of the party is comfortable with this.
No one else is stepping in to confront Adityanath as they know that the Congress president with his Marathi will be the best man to handle the situation, truly making this his moment. In past elections, the limelight was on senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
In fact, the BJP’s failure to gain a simple majority in the Lok Sabha elections, and the relatively decent performance by the INDIA bloc was attributed to Rahul Gandhi. Many felt Kharge may have felt like a footnote.
But, Maharashtra is Kharge’s battleground and the Gandhis do not mind. Like NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and, to a certain extent, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, the Congress president enjoys the gravitas, acumen and maturity of a politician.
With his vast experience, he is a hardcore neta. And this state, with which he is familiar, is giving him a chance to emerge on his own. With this comes the responsibility too. A win would add to his stature and he knows it.
Which is why Kharge’s campaigning is aggressive, taking on the Uttar Pradesh chief minister, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and even Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His speeches are provocative as well, showing that he is not nervous. The Marathi cap or the Gandhi topi, as it is called, sits easy on his head for now.
