The crucial Karnataka assembly elections, on May 10, will set the tone for a hectic electoral season culminating in the Lok Sabha polls of 2024. That Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress president, is from the state makes it all the more significant for him that his party defeats the ruling BJP.
In an exclusive interview at his Bengaluru home—where he made a pit stop before embarking on another election tour—Kharge spoke to THE WEEK in great detail about not just the Karnataka campaign, but also the national issues that confront him and his party. Excerpts:
Q/ The Congress has set a target of 150 [of 224] seats in Karna taka. What makes you confident of achieving this target?
A/ We want nearly 150 because, nowadays, governments with a thin margin are unstable, particularly after the BJP has come to power at the Centre. They are misusing various agencies to topple state governments. They ask MLAs to merge with their party, resign and get re-elected on their ticket. Therefore, we have set a target of 150 seats.
Q/ Is there a fear that the BJP could launch ‘Operation Lotus’ in Karnataka yet again?
A/ Their track record is like that. Not only Karnataka, they have done it in Maharashtra, they tried it in Rajasthan, they have done it in Manipur, in Goa. That is why, to have a stable government, it is necessary that we have these many MLAs.
Q/ This election must be especially significant for you not just because you are Congress president, but also because this is your home state.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
William Dalrymple goes further back
Indian readers have long known William Dalrymple as the chronicler nonpareil of India in the early years of the British raj. His latest book, The Golden Road, is a striking departure, since it takes him to a period from about the third century BC to the 12th-13th centuries CE.
The bleat from the street
What with all the apps delivering straight to one’s doorstep, the supermarkets, the food halls and even the occasional (super-expensive) pop-up thela (cart) offering the woke from field-to-fork option, the good old veggie-market/mandi has fallen off my regular beat.
Courage and conviction
Justice A.M. Ahmadi's biography by his granddaughter brings out behind-the-scenes tension in the Supreme Court as it dealt with the Babri Masjid demolition case
EPIC ENTERPRISE
Gowri Ramnarayan's translation of Ponniyin Selvan brings a fresh perspective to her grandfather's magnum opus
Upgrade your jeans
If you don’t live in the top four-five northern states of India, winter means little else than a pair of jeans. I live in Mumbai, where only mad people wear jeans throughout the year. High temperatures and extreme levels of humidity ensure we go to work in mulmul salwars, cotton pants, or, if you are lucky like me, wear shorts every day.
Garden by the sea
When Kozhikode beach became a fertile ground for ideas with Manorama Hortus
RECRUITERS SPEAK
Industry requirements and selection criteria of management graduates
MORAL COMPASS
The need to infuse ethics into India's MBA landscape
B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH
INTERVIEW - Prof DEBASHIS CHATTERJEE, director, Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode
COURSE CORRECTION
India's best b-schools are navigating tumultuous times. Hurdles include lower salaries offered to their graduates and students misusing AI