Dharam Singh Kin and Mallikarjun Kharge: Camaraderie ends

Kalaburagi: Is the ‘sidelining’ of the Dharam Singh family an indication of the end of the over five decade long camaraderie between the family of the late Chief Minister and the Leader of the Congress group in Lok Sabha  Mallikarjun Kharge?

This question has cropped up in political circles in the wake of denial of a ministerial berth to late Dharam Singh’s second son Dr Ajay Singh. This was the second jolt suffered by the Singh family after the demise of late Dharam Singh last year, the first being denial of the Congress ticket to Mr Chandra Singh( Dharam Singh’s son-in-law) who was an aspirant for the Bidar South seat.  

The two political heavyweights in the Congress, M. Mallikarjun Kharge and N. Dharam Singh were considered inseparable twins in the party. They entered the Assembly together in 1972 and became ministers in all successive Congress governments, except the one led by late Veerendra Patil.

Despite minor differences, Mr Singh and Mr Kharge remained friends through thick and thin. Besides helping each other grow in the party, they worked together to destroy the backbone of their opponents. For example in 1978 when Mr Kharge walked out of the Congress along with Devaraj Urs, it was Mr Singh who helped him join the Gundu Rao Cabinet.

Kharge reciprocated this gesture in 2008 when Singh lost the Jewargi seat to a political novice, Doddappagouda Patil Naribol. When the Congress high command asked Kharge to contest from the Kalaburagi Lok Sabha seat in 2009, he put the condition that he would contest only if Mr Singh was made the Congress candidate for the Bidar Lok Sabha seat.   The high command yielded and made both candidates. Such being the relationship between these two leaders, it was natural for the Dharam Singh family to expect Kharge senior to shoulder the responsibility of being the guardian of their political interests.  Having won the Jewargi Assembly seat, which his father had represented eight times without a break, for a second time, Dr Ajay was a strong contender for a ministerial berth. Considering his father’s legacy and Kharge’s clout in the party, the family members were hoping for a ministerial berth for Dr Ajay which did not happen. 

What has upset the followers as well as family members of Singh is the elevation of Mr Priyank Kharge as Cabinet minister for a second term. “The Dharam Singh family feels let down by Kharge senior. As both Mr Priyank and Dr Ajay are equal in seniority, at least this time Dr Ajay should have got the opportunity to becomea minister. If Kharge senior wanted to make Mr Priyank a minister again, it was fine. But he should have ensured that his friend’s son (Dr Ajay) got justice. As the crucial elections to the Lok Sabha are going to be held in about a year’s time, Kharge senior should have been more prudent in his approach”, observed a senior political analyst.