Opinion
When Mamata Banerjee proposed the name of Mallikharjun Kharge as the Prime Ministerial candidate for the INDIA alliance, it was not seconded by the Congress for that would mean keeping Rahul Gandhi away.
One could have argued that the Congress could have accepted Mamata’s suggestion. Kharge being a Dalit, he would have been portrayed as the first possible Dalit PM of the country and this would have genuinely enhanced Congress’ credibility and given the Party ample ammunition to take on the Hindutva brigade.
In the unlikely scenario that the INDIA alliance won, Kharge would be another remote-controlled PM like Manmohan Singh.
When Sonia Gandhi made Manmohan Singh the Prime Minister, it was because time was on her side and Rahul Gandhi was being groomed for the top job.
But this time, if Kharge were to become Prime Minister, it would spell the end of Rahul Gandhi’s political career.
These reasons made a historical opportunity, go a begging, for the Congress. Projecting a Dalit face as the PM would have done wonders for the Party in the polls, especially the rural part of India.
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