Priyank Kharge’s salvo against RSS seen as a move to consolidate support base, counter criticism against Karnataka govt.

Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge

Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge’s sharp ideological attack on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) appears aimed not only at consolidating the Congress’s traditional support base among minorities, Dalits and sections of progressive voters, but also at countering criticism against the State government over governance and development issues.By bringing the RSS into the political discourse, the Congress appears to be shifting the debate to ideological issues — a terrain on which it is more comfortable confronting the BJP. The strategy is reminiscent of the Congress’s efforts under Jawaharlal Nehru in the 1950s to occupy the secular political space and reinforce the party’s ideological identity against the Bhartiya Jana Sangh.The timing is significant as it comes amid discontent within the Congress over portfolio allocation. Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who sang the opening lines of the RSS prayer Namaste Sada Vatsale in the Legislative Assembly and subsequently faced criticism from sections of his own party, has often been viewed by critics within the Congress as being overly defensive in responding to Hindutva politics. Mr. Kharge appears keen to counter what some describe as a “soft-Hindutva” approach, with the backing of newly appointed KPCC president B.K. Hariprasad, who has publicly defended the Minister’s demand for answers from the RSS.Social coalitionMr. Kharge’s stance may energise minority and Dalit constituencies and help him emerge as a champion of these groups, much like the AHINDA social coalition cultivated by former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. However, it may not automatically translate into electoral gains, particularly among swing voters who are often more concerned about local issues.