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Congress banking on ‘son of soil’ Kharge ahead of K’taka elections
In the past few days, Kharge has invoked the ‘Bhumiputra’ (son of the soil) slogan at several places to counter Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is extensively campaigning in the state.
As campaigning for the Assembly elections enters its final phase, the Opposition Congress is banking on the party’s national president chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s appeal of being the “son of the soil” to win in his home state of Karnataka, where the party is fighting a keen contest against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
In the past few days, Kharge has invoked the ‘Bhumiputra’ (son of the soil) slogan at several places to counter Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is extensively campaigning in the state.
Addressing a public meeting at Shorapur in Yadgir district, which falls in the Kalyan Karnataka region on Wednesday, Kharge invoked the “son of the soil” sentiment, similar to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal in Gujarat, to urge voters to support him in the upcoming elections.
“During the Gujarat elections, Modi said, ‘I’m a son of the soil, so elect my party. If you don’t elect my party, it will be an insult to me all over the country.’ As a result, people voted, and BJP formed the government (in Gujarat). If you (Modi) are a son of the soil for Gujarat, then I am also the same for Karnataka, and I have every right to appeal for votes,” the veteran Congress leader said on Wednesday in Shorapur.
“I belong to this district; you have elected me, and I was in the assembly and Parliament for 50 years. Vote for the Congress,” Kharge said as people cheered for him. At several other public functions, the Congress chief has invoked son of the soil seeking votes for the party as he hails from the state.
Kharge hails from Kalyana Karnataka, earlier called Hyderabad Karnataka, which comprises seven districts and has been a stronghold of the Congress.
The Congress won 21 seats from the region in the 2018 Assembly elections, while the BJP won 15 seats. In 2013, BJP had won 6 seats, and the Congress got 23. In 2008, BJP won 19 seats and Congress 15.
Meanwhile, BJP MLC N Ravikumar questioned Kharge’s and Congress’s contribution to the Kalyana Karnataka region, claiming that development had taken a backseat compared to the rest of the state.
“What is his contribution to Kalyana Karnataka? A huge number of labourers from this region are going to Mumbai, Pune, and Hyderabad in search of jobs. Is this the contribution of some who calls himself the son of the soil? There is no proper drinking water facility, roads, medical or engineering colleges, hospitals, hostels, etc.”
“What is the kind of living here compared to the other parts of the state? What is Congress’s contribution? He was the MLA nine times, MP two times, and minister for so many departments. What is the contribution of the so-called son of the soil?” Ravikumar asked.
However, a BJP leader from Yadgir, who requested anonymity, said Kharge deserves to be called the “son of the soil” since he has the backing of all the communities, not just Dalits. “Kharge’s elevation to the post of Congress chief will also play a key role in consolidating the votes in the state,” he added.
“Dalit votes will automatically go to Congress because of Kharge. But Kharge has never used the Dalit trump card here. In Gurmitkal, all the communities back him - Gowda, Kulkarni, Deshpande, Patel, Patil etc. Kharge never identified himself using his caste. So, in Kalyana Karnataka, there is an inclination towards Congress,” the BJP leader said.
The BJP leader said, like in Gujarat, where there is a Modi sentiment, here, it’s towards Kharge. “After he became the AICC chief, there is more attachment towards him,” the BJP leader further said.
Political analyst CS Dwarkanath said Kharge has much more appeal in Karnataka than Modi because he is from the state.
“Kharge is the son of the soil. He is from Kalaburagi, and he comes from a family of labourers. And for the first time, the Congress president is from Karnataka. This will have an impact,” he said.
However, political analyst Chambi Puranik did not agree.
He said that Kharge’s influence is limited in the upcoming elections.
“He has never been chief minister of Karnataka like Modi, who was Gujarat CM before he came to Centre. People also know that just because of him, Congress will not come to power. It will come to power because of other strong leaders like DKS, Siddaramaiah,” Puranik pointed out.
