Bhopal(Madhya Pradesh): Congress’ presidential post candidate Mallikarjun Kharge said on Wednesday he believed in a collective leadership but hastened to add that if elected president he would consult party leaders Sonia Gandhi as well as Rahul Gandhi on organisational matters.
Asked who will be the Congress's prime ministerial candidate if he gets elected as party chief, he avoided a direct reply and quoted a proverb popular in his home state Karnataka to say, "Eid me bachenge to muharram bhi mana lenge (If a goat survives Eid it will celebrate Muharram too). “I am here for organizational elections. We will see all these things later," the Rajya Sabha MP said.
The 80-year-old politician from Karnataka maintained he is contesting the election for the top party post to save the Constitution and democracy in the country.
The veteran politician said he was "forced" by Congress workers to enter the fray as no one from the Gandhi family came forward to contest the election since they wanted to stay away from the process to ensure an impartial poll.
“I will consult Sonia Gandhi as well as Rahul Gandhi as they have been party chiefs for more than 20 years (put together) and under their leadership our party had formed government twice (at the Centre) and framed a number of welfare schemes for the poor,” the Rajya Sabha MP added.
The former Union minister accused the BJP of "stealing" Congress MLAs and toppling party-led governments in nearly half a dozen states.
“The major challenge before the party is the current BJP government that is destroying the Constitution, weakening autonomous institutions and misusing them," he said.
Kharge arrived in Bhopal to address Congress delegates ahead of the October 17 party presidential poll, where he is taking on Lok Sabha MP from Kerala Shashi Tharoor.
“Our party' came to power in nearly six states under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, but the BJP government under Modiji and Shah stole our MLAs because of which we lost governments in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Goa and Maharashtra,” Kharge said slamming the BJP.
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