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Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Shivakumar backs Kharge's 1999 CM snub remarks, says he's just expressing his feelings
Deputy CM DK Shivakumar on Tuesday defended AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge expressing his disappointment publicly over missing out on becoming the CM of Karnataka in 1999 despite putting his best efforts to bring the Congress to power. 'There is nothing wrong with it. He is a senior leader of the party and has worked hard for the Congress party 's growth. He has just expressed his feelings,' he told media persons. On discussions around Kharge's possible return to Karnataka's politics, Shivakumar said there was nothing wrong with such discussions as everyone was entitled to his or her opinion. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category PGDM Project Management Others Degree Technology Product Management others CXO Finance Leadership Public Policy Cybersecurity Design Thinking Digital Marketing Healthcare Artificial Intelligence Data Science Management Data Science MBA healthcare MCA Operations Management Skills you'll gain: Financial Analysis & Decision Making Quantitative & Analytical Skills Organizational Management & Leadership Innovation & Entrepreneurship Duration: 24 Months IMI Delhi Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Online) Starts on Sep 1, 2024 Get Details Speaking at a public event in Vijayapura on Sunday, Kharge poured out his feelings and said he was denied the CM post despite working hard for the Congress win in the 1999 assembly elections preferring someone (SM Krishna) who was just four-month-old in the party. The veteran Congress leader, who was the Home & Transport Minister in the SM Krishna government (1999-2004) said he toiled to bring the Congress party to power as leader of the Opposition. But Krishna was made the party's state unit chief just four months before the elections and made the CM on the party's win. All his efforts went down the drain, he had said. The AICC chief's public comments triggered discussions among SC/ST MLAs that Kharge be made the CM of Karnataka during the present term itself, echoing demands from both vocal and non-vocal groups that the Congress must make a Dalit leader as CM. Live Events Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
News18
2 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Nothing wrong if Kharge wants to come back to Karnataka politics: Parameshwara
Last Updated: Bengaluru, Jul 29 (PTI) Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday said there is nothing wrong if party national President Mallikarjun Kharge wants to return to state politics. He was responding to a question from reporters on Kharge's remarks, recalling how he lost the Chief Minister's post to S M Krishna after the 1999 Karnataka Assembly polls. Kharge's remarks added to the speculations of leadership change in Congress and about his return to state politics. Senior Congress leader Parameshwara also said that wrongly interpreting Kharge is also not correct. Kharge's statement seems to have rekindled the debate on 'Dalit CM' within the party. The AICC President, who hails from Karnataka, belongs to a Scheduled Caste. Making a Dalit the CM is a hotly debated matter within the Congress party, the issue on which senior leaders and Ministers Parameshwara and H C Mahadevappa have openly spoken in the past. Both belong to Scheduled Castes. These comments have come amid speculations within the state's political circles, especially within the ruling Congress, for some time now about the Chief Minister change later this year, citing a rumoured power-sharing agreement involving incumbent Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar. Asked about some speaking about his return to state politics, he said, 'There is nothing wrong in it. He is holding the decisive position in our party. He is the one who decides as to who should be the Chief Minister, being the AICC President. So, in case he wants to come back to state politics, no one should interpret it wrong." Speaking at an event in Vijayapura on Sunday, Kharge had recalled about him missing the Chief Ministerial post, when Congress came to power in 1999. 'As CLP (Congress Legislature Party) leader I tried to bring the party to power (ahead of 1999 polls), the party formed the government and S M Krishna became the Chief Minister. He had come (as KPCC President) four months ahead (of polls)….all my service was washed down the river. I feel that — I toiled for five years, but the person who came four months ago was made the CM," the Congress chief had said. 'What I'm trying to say is, we may face difficulties, but we must continue to work without greed in mind. If you are greedy, you won't get anything, also you won't be able to do what's in your mind. Passing through all these things, from being a block president, I have now become AICC President. I did not go behind positions," he further said. Mahadevappa too, reacting to Kharge's statement on Monday had said, Kharge is one of the senior leaders in the country and he has all the required qualities to occupy any constitutional post, and our wish is that he should get an opportunity, whenever there is one. Naming Dalit leaders in Congress who have occupied the CM post in other states like — Damodaram Sanjivayya, Sushil Kumar Shinde, Jagannath Pahadia and Ram Sundar Das, he said, 'When time comes the party will take a decision and everyone will abide by it." However, trying to downplay speculations, Kharge's son and IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge on Monday said his father was merely sharing the path he had walked in his political career — both ups and downs — and that his speech should be seen in entirety not selectively. He has also made it clear that he has no regrets. 'From the blessings of everyone, the people of Kalaburagi and Karnataka, he is in the post that was once occupied by Subhas Chandra Bose and Gandhiji. Whatever he has decided on his political future, he will decide himself. He has earned that respect and reputation. He has a good relationship with the high command. Whatever he decides, Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi will automatically accept it," he said. PTI KSU ADB view comments First Published: July 29, 2025, 14:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Mallikarjun Kharge opens up about not becoming Karnataka chief minister in 1999: ‘My services…'
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday spoke about missing the post of chief minister of Karnataka in 1999, saying that someone who had joined the party recently was chosen instead. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge at Indira Bhawan in New Delhi.(PTI) Addressing a poll rally in Karnataka's Vijayapura, Mallikarjun Kharge said he fought the polls as Leader of Opposition in the state, but added that SM Krishna was picked as chief minister. 'In the 1999 assembly elections, I fought as the Leader of the Opposition. SM Krishna, who joined the party four months earlier, was made the chief minister,' news agency ANI quoted Kharge as saying at the event. Also Read | 'Between him and Modi': What Congress chief said on Jagdeep Dhankhar's resignation "I tried to bring the party to power, but SM Krishna became the CM. The services I rendered went down the drain..." he added. SM Krishna served as the chief minister of Karnataka from 1999 to 2004. The Congress won 132 of 224 seats in the Assembly polls. The BJP, led by BS Yeddyurappa, won 44 seats, followed by Janata Dal (United) with 18 seats, and Janata Dal (Secular) with 10, among others. Also Read | '24 times': Mallikarjun Kharge corners govt over Trump's claim on India-Pak ceasefire Kharge served as a minister in the Cabinet of SM Krishna and succeeding Congress chief ministers, until he contested the 2009 Lok Sabha elections and was appointed as the minister for labour and employment. He also served as the Union minister for Railways and Social Justice and Empowerment. In 2020, Kharge was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka at the age of 78. In 2021, he was appointed as Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. In 2022, he became the president of the Congress party after he defeated Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor. He became the first non-Gandhi chief of the party in 24 years and replaced Sonia Gandhi, who was the party's longest-serving president.
India Today
4 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
All efforts went in vain: Mallikarjun Kharge on Karnataka Chief Minister snub
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said he was not given his due by the party high command after the 1999 Karnataka Assembly polls, when SM Krishna was chosen for the state's top post, despite joining the party four months that his hopes of rising to the top office in the state suffered a setback, Kharge said he worked tirelessly as the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader for five years, but all his efforts went in ]became the CLP leader and worked hard to bring the party to power. Eventually, our government did come to power, but SM Krishna, who had joined the party just four months earlier at the time, became the chief minister," the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha said at an event in Vijayapura. "All our efforts felt like they went in vain. I had worked tirelessly for five years. He (Krishna) walked in just four months prior and became chief minister," he Congress veteran maintained that there have been many such instances, but it would not be appropriate to talk about all of them at Krishna was the 16th Chief Minister of Karnataka and assumed office in October 1999 after the Congress won 132 of 224 seats in the Assembly served as a minister in the Cabinet of SM Krishna and succeeding Congress chief ministers, until he contested the 2009 Lok Sabha elections and was appointed as the Union Minister for Labour and Employment. He also served as the Union Minister for Railways and Social Justice and Empowerment for nearly a year AS CONGRESS PRESIDENTKharge became the Congress president after he defeated Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor in a landslide victory in emerged as the clear winner with 7,987 votes, while Tharoor managed to secure 1,072 in his favour, underlining the fact that he had strong backing from the party high command and supporters. Over 9,000 Congress delegates across India voted to choose their party chief on October his victory, Kharge became the first non-Gandhi family party chief in almost 24 his tenure as the Congress national president, the party won 99 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, a nearly 50-seat rise as compared to the 2019 the party lost key Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Maharashtra.- EndsMust Watch IN THIS STORY#Karnataka
NDTV
4 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
"Services Down The Drain": M Kharge On When He Missed Out Being Chief Minister
Bengaluru: Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress chief and Gandhi family loyalist, voiced regrets on how he missed being the Chief Minister of Karnataka despite winning an election for the Congress. Speaking at a programme in Vijayapura, Mr Kharge started reminiscing about his time in the state in the late 1990s, when he was upstaged by a new-comer. "As a Legislative Party leader I did everything I could to bring us to power. The government was finally formed. As soon as we came to power, SM Krishna, who joined just four months ago, became Chief Minister" Mr Kharge said. "All my service was washed down the drain. I felt that I worked tirelessly for five years. But the person who came just four months ago got the position of the Chief Minister," he added. SM Krishna was the Chief Minister of Karnataka from 1999 to 2004. Mr Kharge served as a minister under him - and other Chief Ministers till he contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2009. In 2022, Mr Kharge - widely seen as the candidate approved by the Gandhis -- became the chief of Congress, winning the organisational election in a contest against Shashi Tharoor. It was widely believed that caste played a big role in picking SM Krishna for the top post at the cost of sidelining Mr Kharge's SC background despite his seniority and contributions. SM Krishna hailed from the Vokkaliga community -- a historically dominant caste in Karnataka.
