Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday expressed his lingering disappointment over being overlooked for the Karnataka Chief Minister's post in 1999, despite his pivotal role in bringing the party to power that year.
Speaking at an event in Vijayapura, Bengaluru, Kharge recalled his tenure as the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader and the work he put in during that period.
“I became the Congress Legislature Party Leader and tried my best, and our party came to power. However, SM Krishna, who joined us just four months ago, was made the Chief Minister," Kharge said.
Reflecting on the events, Kharge said his hard work over five years had gone unrecognised. “The service I rendered went in vain, Swamiji,” he told the head of the Belimatha Mahasamsthana (Beli Mutt), who was also present. He added, “You should never have greed in your heart; if you do, then you won’t get what you want.”
Kharge, who began his political journey as a block president and rose through the ranks to become the All India Congress Committee (AICC) president, emphasised that he never chased power. “Power came to me naturally,” he said.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Minister HK Patil declined to comment on Kharge’s remarks, saying he hadn’t heard the speech.
“I was also a leader of the opposition. He was the leader of the opposition in the Assembly, and I was the leader of the opposition in the Legislative Council three times. We just do our service,” Patil said.
SM Krishna was appointed Karnataka’s Chief Minister in October 1999 after leading the Congress to a sweeping victory, securing 132 out of 224 seats in the assembly elections.
As then-Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, Krishna had spearheaded the campaign that brought the party back to power. He held the top post until May 2004.
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