Mallikarjun Kharge

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Mallikarjun Kharge
National President of the Indian National Congress
Incumbent
Assumed office
26 October 2022
Preceded bySonia Gandhi (interim)
14th Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha
Incumbent
Assumed office
16 February 2021
DeputyAnand Sharma
Pramod Tiwari
Preceded byGhulam Nabi Azad
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
Incumbent
Assumed office
12 June 2020
Preceded byRajeev Gowda
ConstituencyKarnataka
Personal details
Born
Mapanna Mallikarjun Kharge

(1942-07-21) 21 July 1942 (age 82)
Warwatti, Hyderabad State, British India
Political partyIndian National Congress
Spouse
Radhabai Kharge
​
(m. 1968)​
Children5, including
Gulbarga (BA)
  • S.S.L. Law College, Karnatak University (LLB)
    • Occupation
    Websiteindia.gov.in/mallikarjun-kharge
    Prior political offices
    Leader of the
    Gulbarga, Karnataka
    24th President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee
    In office
    2005–2008
    AICC PresidentSonia Gandhi
    Preceded byJanardhana Poojary
    Succeeded byR. V. Deshpande
    Minister of Home Affairs, Government of Karnataka
    In office
    1999–2004
    Governor
    Jayadevappa Halappa Patel
    Preceded byB. S. Yediyurappa
    Succeeded byJagadish Shettar
    Minister for Cooperation & Marketing, Government of Karnataka
    In office
    1992–1994
    GovernorKhurshed Alam Khan
    Chief MinisterVeerappa Moily
    Minister of Revenue & Stamps, Government of Karnataka
    In office
    1990–1992
    Governor
    Chief Minister
    Gurmitkal

    Mapanna Mallikarjun Kharge (Kannada:

    President of the Indian National Congress since 2022 and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha since 2021. He has been a Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha from Karnataka since 2020
    .

    He began his career in state politics, serving as a member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from Gurmitkal Assembly constituency from 1972 to 2008 and from Chittapur Assembly constituency from 2008 to 2009. Kharge served as the leader of the opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from 1996 to 1999, president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee from 2005 to 2008, and as a minister in many portfolios under various chief ministers.

    Kharge joined national politics when he was elected as the

    2022 Indian National Congress presidential election to succeed Sonia Gandhi.[1] Under his presidency, the Congress gained 99 seats in the 2024 Indian general election, forming the official opposition for the first time since 2014.[2][3] He is a close ally of the Gandhi family.[4]

    Early life and background

    Mallikarjun Kharge was born on 21 July 1942 in the Varawatti, Bhalki Taluk, Bidar district, Karnataka in a Dalit family to Saibavva and Mapanna Kharge.[5]

    In 1948, Kharge lost his mother and sister in a fire set off by the

    Gulbarga and his law degree from the Seth Shankarlal Lahoti Law College in Gulbarga.[8] He started his legal practice as a junior in Justice Shivaraj Patil's office and fought cases for labour unions early in his legal career.[9]

    Political career

    Kharge began his political career in state politics, being elected as the MLA for Gurmitkal Assembly constituency and Chittapur Assembly constituency consecutively from 1972 to 2008. During his tenure in state politics, he served as a minister in the ministries of S. M. Krishna, Veerappa Moily, Sarekoppa Bangarappa, and R. Gundu Rao, in many prominent portfolios including the Home and Revenue ministries. In opposition, Kharge served as the leader of the opposition on two occasions and led the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee into the 2008 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election as KPCC president, gaining 15 seats for the party and finishing second. He resigned from the legislature in 2009 to run for the Lok Sabha.

    Kharge was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 2009 the general election from Gulbarga. This was his tenth consecutive election victory.[10]

    In the 2014 general elections, Kharge was elected from Gulbarga, beating Revunaik Belamagih from the BJP with a margin of 13,404 votes.[11][12] In June, he was appointed the Leader of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha.[13]

    In the 2019 general elections, Kharge contested from the same parliamentary seat, however this time he lost to Umesh G. Jadhav from the BJP with a margin of 95,452 votes.[12]

    On 12 June 2020 Kharge was elected (unopposed) to the

    Leader of Opposition, Rajya Sabha.[15]

    Kharge notably has been appointed an observer by the INC for multiple states in the past, including Assam in 2014, Punjab in 2021, and Rajasthan in 2022.[16] He has been criticized for his alleged inability to resolve internal party issues in these three states and therefore causing the loss in Assam and Punjab, and public embarrassment in Rajasthan.[16]

    He is known for his record of defeating all his opposition candidates in his lifetime career except one.[17] In 2023, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Lokmat's Parliamentary Awards.[18]

    President of the Indian National Congress

    On 1 October 2022, he filed nominations to contest the

    Gandhi family in 24 years.[20] He was 61th person to hold the post and 98th president of the party.[21] In the first 2 years of his presidency, the Congress formed governments in Himachal Pradesh in 2022, Telangana in 2023, and forming a coalition in Jharkhand in 2024, while losing power in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan in 2023.[22][23][24][25] The Congress opted out of Omar Abdullah’s government in Jammu Kashmir after it sought two ministries but was offered only one even though both parties contested election in alliance. It had won just six of the 39 seats it contested in the state.[26]

    2024 general election

    Kharge's name was proposed as the prime ministerial candidate of the

    Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Yadav disapproved the proposal.[28]

    Electoral performances

    Year Election Party Constituency Result Votes gained Vote share% Margin Ref
    1972
    Mysore Legislative Assembly
    		 INC  Gurmitkal Won 16,796 62.68%% 9,440 [29]
    1978 Karnataka Legislative Assembly Won 30,380 64.99% 16,599 [30]
    1983 Karnataka Legislative Assembly Won 30,933 67.65% 16,143 [31]
    1985 Karnataka Legislative Assembly Won 32,669 66% 17,673 [32]
    1989 Karnataka Legislative Assembly Won 39,608 64.23% 19,969 [33]
    1994 Karnataka Legislative Assembly Won 42,588 58.76% 19,336 [34]
    1999 Karnataka Legislative Assembly Won 54,569 76.76% 47,124 [35]
    2004 Karnataka Legislative Assembly Won 37,006 45.99% 18,547 [36]
    2008 Karnataka Legislative Assembly Won 49,837 52.13% 17,442 [37]
    2009 15th Lok Sabha Gulbarga Won 3,45,241 45.46% 13,404 [38]
    2014 16th Lok Sabha Won 5,07,193 50.83% 74,733 [39]
    2019 17th Lok Sabha Lost 5,24,740 44.08% 95,452 [40]

    Positions held

    Year Description
    1972–1978 Elected to 5th Mysore Assembly (1st Term)
    • Minister of State for Primary and Secondary Education (1976-1978)
    1978–1983 Elected to 6th Karnataka Assembly (2nd Term)
    • Cabinet Minister for Rural Development & Panchayati Raj (1979-1980)
    • Cabinet Minister for Revenue (1980-83)
    1983–1985 Elected to 7th Karnataka Assembly (3rd Term)
    • Secretary, Congress Legislature Party
    1985–1989 Elected to 8th Karnataka Assembly (4th Term)
    • Deputy Leader of Opposition
    1989–1994 Elected to 9th Karnataka Assembly (5th Term)
    • Cabinet Minister for Revenue, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj (1990-1992)
    • Cabinet Minister for Co-operation, Medium and Large Industries (1992-1994)
    1994–1999 Elected to 10th Karnataka Assembly (6th Term)
    • Leader of Opposition (1996-99)
    1999–2004 Elected to 11th Karnataka Assembly (7th Term)
    • Cabinet Minister for Home, Infrastructure Development and Minor Irrigation (1999-2004)
    2004–2008 Elected to 12th Karnataka Assembly (8th Term)
    • Cabinet Minister for Water Resources and Transport (2004-2006)
    2008–2009 Elected to 13th Karnataka Assembly (9th Term)
    • Leader of Opposition (2008-2009)
    2009–2014 Elected to 15th Lok Sabha (1st Term)
    • Union Minister for Labour and Employment (31 May 2009–17 June 2013)
    • Union Minister for Railways and Social Justice and Empowerment (17 June 2013-26 May 2014)
    2014–2019 Elected to 16th Lok Sabha (2nd Term)
    • Leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party
    • Member, Business Advisory Committee (2014–2019)
    • Member, Standing Committee on Home Affairs (2014–2019)
    • Member, Joint Parliamentary Committee on Maintenance of Heritage Character and Development of Parliament House Complex (2014–2019)
    • Member of National Committee (NC) for commemorating the 125th Birth Anniversary of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (2014–2019)
    • Member, General Purposes Committee (2015–2019)
    • Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Defence (2015–2019)
    • Chairperson, Public Accounts Committee (2017–2019)
    • Member, Committee on Budget of Lok Sabha (2017–2019)
    2020–Present Elected to Rajya Sabha (1st Term)

    Personal life

    Kharge married Radhabai on 13 May 1968; they have 2 daughters and 3 sons.[8][41] Kharge is a polyglot and can speak English, Hindi, Urdu, Kannada, Telugu and Marathi.[42] His son Priyank Kharge is an MLA from the Chittapur assembly constituency,[6] and his son-in-law Radhakrishna is an MP from Gulbarga Lok Sabha constituency, Kharge's former seat in the Lok Sabha.

    He is the Founder-Chairman of Siddharth Vihar Trust that has built the Buddha Vihar in Gulbarga, India.[43] He is also a patron of the Chowdiah Memorial Hall, a concert and theater venue in Bangalore. He helped the centre get over its debts and aided the centre's plans for renovation.[44]

    See also

    • List of presidents of the Indian National Congress
    • 2022 Indian National Congress presidential election

    References

    1. ^ "Kharge, who started as labour leader, becomes new Congress chief by beating Tharoor who speaks fine English". India Today. 19 October 2022. Archived from the original on 28 October 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
    2. ^ Aggarwai, Mithil; Frayer, Janis Mackey (4 June 2024). "India hands PM Modi a surprise setback, with his majority in doubt in the world's largest election". NBC News. Archived from the original on 4 June 2024. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
    3. ^ Poharel, Krishna; Lahiri, Tripti (3 June 2024). "India's Narendra Modi Struggles to Hold On to Majority, Early Election Results Show". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 4 June 2024. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
    4. ^ Qureshi, Imran (19 October 2022). "Mallikarjun Kharge: Can a non-Gandhi Congress chief take on Modi?". Retrieved 1 February 2025.
    5. ^ "Mallikarjun Kharge". The Indian Express. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
    6. ^ a b "Escaping Blaze at 7 to Congress Chief at 80 Mallikarjun Kharges Firefighting Continues Son Recounts Journey for News18". 19 October 2022. Archived from the original on 26 October 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
    7. ^ "Mallikarjun Kharge officially takes charge as 1st non-Gandhi Congress president after 24 years". 26 October 2022. Archived from the original on 26 October 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
    8. ^ a b "Detailed Profile". Government of India. Archived from the original on 17 July 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
    9. ^ "Early life of Kharge". Press Journal Kharge. Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
    10. ^ Phukan, Sandip (3 June 2014). "Mallikarjun Kharge consecutive win". NDTV. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
    11. ^ "Know about the New Congress President - Mallikarjun Kharge". Indian National Congress. 29 October 2022. Archived from the original on 26 May 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
    12. ^ a b "Gulbarga SC Election Results". www.elections.in. Archived from the original on 30 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
    13. ^ "Sonia picks Mallikarjun Kharge over 'unwilling' Rahul as Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha". The Indian Express. 3 June 2014. Archived from the original on 12 February 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
    14. ^ Joshi, Bharath (12 June 2020). "H D Deve Gowda, Mallikarjun Kharge elected unanimously to Rajya Sabha from Karnataka". Deccan Herald. Archived from the original on 12 June 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
    15. ^ "Kharge to be Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha". The Hindu. 12 February 2021. Archived from the original on 12 February 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
    16. ^ a b "How two states slipped out of the Congress under Mallikarjun Kharge's 'observation', while a third one is on the line". India Today. 4 October 2022. Archived from the original on 27 October 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
    17. ISSN 0013-0389. Archived
      from the original on 16 August 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
    18. ^ "Lokmat Parliamentary Award". Lokmat. 14 March 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
    19. ^ "Highlights: Newly-elected Cong president Kharge to take charge on Oct 26". Hindustan Times. 19 October 2022. Archived from the original on 27 October 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
    20. ^ "Mallikarjun Kharge officially takes charge as 1st non-Gandhi Congress president". mint. 26 October 2022. Archived from the original on 26 October 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
    21. ^ Indian National Congress
    22. ^ "Congress Wins Himachal, Race Begins For Chief Minister's Chair: 10 Points". www.ndtv.com. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
    23. ^ "Hemant Soren poised to form government in Jharkhand for second time". ddnews.gov.in. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
    24. ISSN 0971-751X
      . Retrieved 17 January 2025.
    25. ISSN 0971-751X
      . Retrieved 17 January 2025.
    26. ^ "Congress opts out of Omar Abdullah's government in J&K". Hindustan Times. 16 October 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
    27. ^ Menon, Aditya (19 December 2023). "INDIA Bloc Meeting: Why Mallikarjun Kharge is Right Choice as PM Face But..." TheQuint. Archived from the original on 19 December 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
    28. ^ "INDIA bloc meets and sulking members in aftermath: A consistent saga in 4 parts". India Today. 19 December 2023. Archived from the original on 19 December 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
    29. ^ "Mysore Legislative Assembly Election, 1972". eci.gov.in. Election Commission of India. Archived from the original on 17 March 2024. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
    30. ^ "Karnataka Legislative Assembly Election, 1978". eci.gov.in. Election Commission of India. Archived from the original on 17 March 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
    31. ^ "Karnataka Legislative Assembly Election, 1983". eci.gov.in. Election Commission of India. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
    32. ^ "Karnataka Legislative Assembly Election, 1985". eci.gov.in. Election Commission of India. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
    33. ^ "Karnataka Legislative Assembly Election, 1989". eci.gov.in. Election Commission of India. Archived from the original on 17 March 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
    34. ^ "Karnataka Legislative Assembly Election, 1994". eci.gov.in. Election Commission of India. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
    35. ^ "Karnataka Legislative Assembly Election, 1999". eci.gov.in. Election Commission of India. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
    36. ^ "Karnataka Legislative Assembly Election, 2004". eci.gov.in. Election Commission of India. Archived from the original on 12 January 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
    37. ^ "Karnataka Legislative Assembly Election - 2008". eci.gov.in. Election Commission of India. Archived from the original on 17 March 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
    38. ^ "General Election 2009". Election Commission of India. Archived from the original on 12 January 2024. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
    39. ^ "General Election 2014". Election Commission of India. Archived from the original on 6 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
    40. ^ "General Election 2019". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
    41. ^ "Personal life of Mallikarjun Kharge". Business Standard. 3 June 2014. Archived from the original on 3 June 2014. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
    42. ^ "Mallikarjun Kharge takes the Congress reins". India Today. 21 October 2022. Archived from the original on 30 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
    43. ^ "About Buddha Vihar, Gulbarga". Buddha vihar Gulbarga. Archived from the original on 18 October 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
    44. ^ "A grand bow to the arts". The Hindu. 1 July 2005. Archived from the original on 27 January 2011.
    Lok Sabha
    Preceded by Member of Parliament
    for
    Gulbarga

    2009–2019     		Succeeded by
    Political offices
    Preceded by
    Minister of Labour and Employment

    2009–2013     		Succeeded by
    Sis Ram Ola
    Preceded by Minister of Railways
    2013–2014     		Succeeded by
    DV Sadananda Gowda
    Party political offices
    Preceded by President of
    Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee
    2005–2008     		Succeeded by
    Preceded by Leader of the Indian National Congress
    in the Lok Sabha
    2014–2019     		Succeeded by
    Preceded by Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha
    2022–     		Incumbent
    Preceded by President of the Indian National Congress
    2022–present     		Incumbent
    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mallikarjun_Kharge&oldid=1297774336"