The times are challenging, but Congress has to fight: Mallikarjun Kharge

The likely next Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge says the guidance of the Gandhi family is required as Sonia has served as party chief for nearly 20 years. In an exclusive interview to TOI, Kharge says that after party polls, Congress will take a look at its deficiencies and ‘wherever surgery is needed, it will be undertaken’.
What is your big promise on the Congress organisational front?
My manifesto is the Udaipur declaration. Everything is in it, as it was a result of detailed discussions between all talented people, experts and organisation leaders. Some people are promising to bring a change. I don't want to comment on that. But implementing Udaipur declaration is an automatic change, as it has not been implemented yet.
If elected, you will assume the leadership of Congress at its most challenging juncture.
Challenges fall on every party. We have to face those challenges and have to come out of them. In Karnataka where I worked for many years, we were in power and out of it regularly. Sometimes, election results were so bad like in 1994, that we could not become a recognised opposition party, and BJP got four more seats than us. But we never lost our heart to fight. Later, we won. In Delhi, BJP lost many times and was once even reduced to two MPs in Lok Sabha.
Do you believe this is an existential crisis for party?
What happened in 1996, 1998, 1999? We were not in power. It is after Sonia Gandhi took charge that Congress was reinvigorated, and we came to power with hard work. Present days are difficult for us but we are fighting. There are crises like inflation, falling GDP, unemployment, fall of rupee. We have to convince the people. The youngsters are realising now that they made a mistake and are being drawn towards Congress. Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra has completed 35 days. People are looking at Congress as the only national alternative against BJP, from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. The regional parties are powerful in their respective states, but at national level, only Congress exists.
What, in your opinion, afflicts the Congress?
When the organisational elections are over, we will look at our constitutional processes like committees, and see where to improve. We will see if our political structure has to be changed. And wherever repair is needed, it has to be done, wherever surgery is required, we have to undertake it. Whatever steps we have to take for strengthening the party, we will do that in consultation with experienced leaders and expertise available.
It is after a long time that a non-Gandhi will be the party president, while there are Gandhi family members active in politics. How will the arrangement work?
The guidance of the Gandhi family is needed. Sonia Gandhi worked for nearly 20 years as party president. Her policy decisions were pathbreaking, like Food Security Act, MGNREGA, RTI, Right to Education. We need feedback, guidance from her to improve the party. Is it wrong? Rahul Gandhi is openly fighting against RSS- BJP. With Rahul's efforts, Congress won in seven states, though we lost power in some, because our own people defected... Maharashtra, Karnataka, MP, Goa, Manipur, Arunachal. For a man who tries his best and delivers results, you cannot say they have not done anything. Because of Sonia Gandhi, Congress ruled for ten years, but the Gandhi family never expected the PM's post or ministership. Congress has open consultations, like CWC meetings. Are there any reports of discussions in BJP?
Do you need to campaign so extensively, as you are doing?
Actually, the delegates and leaders are asking me to come at least once. And I am meeting them. They also asked me to contest arguing that the Gandhi family members are not there, and a person who has worked at the grassroots level for 50 years should step in. It was my duty to heed their request. I was leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha, but I thought it (being party president) would be a bigger service than being LOP or minister... my thinking, my thoughts, my ideology that I have believed in since beginning, that will be implemented, if you are in authority.
Congress leaders have been leaving the party regularly. How big a concern is it for you?
New blood will come in place of people who have left Congress. We have to accept that. If some experienced leaders want to come back, their fate will be decided through consultations. Each state has some problem, and we will decide after the elections.