Congress will win Karnataka, decide CM face later, says Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge

Slamming the PM’s jibe at the Opposition accusing them of corruption, Mr. Kharge claimed this was like the pot calling the kettle black, and urged Mr. Modi to first answer questions on Adani shell companies

File photo of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. | Photo Credit: PTI

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on March 29 refused to name his party’s chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly election, even while expressing confidence that the Congress would form the next government in the State.

Newly-elected MLAs would decide on a CM after the election, as naming a candidate would lead to internal fights, he added.

The Congress president also took on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s jibe accusing Opposition parties of corruption, claiming that it was Mr. Modi who was running a bhrashtachari bhagao abhiyan (make the corrupt flee campaign).

Avoiding rivalries

Speaking to reporters on the Congress’ prospects in Karnataka, Mr. Kharge said, “I can’t give you give an exact number, but can say that we will form the government.”

“After the election, views of the MLAs would be taken and then the High Command will prepare a strategy and decide who will be made the Chief Minister. It won’t be declared before as that leads to rivalries,” Mr. Kharge said, in response to a question on the party’s chief ministerial face.

‘PM supports the corrupt’

Hitting back at the PM for calling Opposition parties corrupt, the Congress chief said, “He [Mr. Modi] is supporting corrupt people, so it is like the pot calling the kettle black. We are asking him why he is not talking about Adani and in turn he is accusing us of corruption. You are defending those responsible for big theft and calling others thieves, this is not done”.

In a series of tweets, Mr. Kharge mounted a scathing attack on the Prime Minister. “Narendra Modi ji, whose ₹20,000 crore is invested in Adani shell companies? Are Lalit Modi, Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, Vijay Mallya, Jatin Mehta etc. members of your bhrashtachari bhagao abhiyan? Are you the convenor of this alliance? Stop your image makeover by calling yourself an anti-corruption crusader!” Mr. Kharge tweeted.

Demand for JPC on Adani

He said that while the BJP government in Karnataka is accused of being a ‘40% commission’ government, the BJP had joined hands with a party in Meghalaya that it had previously accused of being the most corrupt.

The Enforcement Directorate is put after 95% of Opposition leaders, while those joining the BJP are cleaned up in a “washing machine”, Mr. Kharge claimed.

“If you have a 56-inch chest, set up a JPC [joint parliamentary committee into the Adani issue] and hold an open press conference for the first time in nine years. Answer those who do not ask that – ‘How do you eat mango’ or ‘why you don’t get tired’,” the Congress chief added, on Twitter.