Smt. Sonia Gandhi Releases Commemorative Book on Mallikarjun Kharge, Spotlights Opposition Cohesion in the Face of BJP Dominance T he launch event of the felicitation volume, commemorating Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge’s 50-year political journey, turned into a significant occasion for opposition leaders to underscore the imperative of unity. Held in New Delhi’s Jawahar Bhawan, the event saw Chairperson of Congress Parliamentary Party and former Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi unveiling the book titled ‘Mallikarjun Kharge Political Engagement with Compassion, Justice, and Inclusive Development.’ The gathering included not only Congress Party colleagues but also prominent figures from the INDIA alliance, such as CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, DMK’s T.R. Baalu, and RJD’s Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha and several leaders. The leaders acknowledged the relative dormancy of the INDIA group during recent Assembly elections, attributing it to the Congress’ preoccupation with direct contests against the BJP. Addressing the gathering, Shri Sitaram Yechury acknowledged that talks with the Congress on seat-sharing did not yield positive results but commended Kharge Ji for his honesty in communicating his Party’s constraints on the matter. Shri Yechury emphasized Kharge Ji’s role as a pivotal opposition leader responsible for fostering collaboration in the lead-up to the Lok Sabha elections. Shri Baalu described Shri Kharge as the “torch-bearer of social justice”, saying: “You have to play a bigger role… in the context of 2024. You have handled the great challenges the Congress was faced with in these times. You are nurturing the Nehruvian culture with the help of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. But you don’t have to lead only the Congress but also the country.” Shri Baalu lauded Kharge Ji’s maturity in carrying out public duties and highlighted the crucial role of the Congress President in maintaining opposition cohesion. RJD’s Shri Manoj Jha conveyed messages from RJD leaders Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav, affirming their commitment to the INDIA alliance under Kharge Ji’s leadership. Stressing that Kharge Ji was a bridge between Ambedkar’s emancipation and Nehru’s compassion, Jha said: “Abhishek Singhvi has written in this book that culmination hasn’t yet taken place. The culmination will be beautiful and very high.” Dr. Abhishek Singhvi, a Party colleague, wrote in the book titled ‘Mallikarjun Kharge: Political Engagement with Compassion, Justice, and Inclusive Development’ that Kharge Ji had conquered many diverse peaks but the best is yet to come. The book is edited by SukhadeoThorat and Chetan Shinde. It has essays written by 73 contributors from different parties. Though the book was supposed to have come out earlier to commemorate Kharge Ji’s 50 years in electoral politics, it got delayed by two years. The book was conceived and prepared before he became the Party President. Shri Thorat said “biography unveils lesser-known facets of Kharge’s persona as a political luminary, social reformer, and educator over five decades. It covers his family background, contributions to Karnataka’s economic development, and his commendable role as an Opposition leader. But most unique is his role as a social reformer to reform the iniquitous caste society towards the goal of equality, freedom, and fraternity, including education for marginalised groups through the Education Society with 18 education institutions. Notably, it delves into his profound role as a social reformer, drawing inspiration from Ambedkar and Buddhist ideology for socially inclusive development”.