Congress President M Kharge took a route to strike an emotional chord with the people of his home district of Kalaburagi where he appealed to them to at least attend his funeral if they thought he worked for them even though they do not wish to vote for the party candidate here in the coming Lok Sabha elections.
Speaking at a poll rally at Afzalpur in this district on Wednesday, the 81-year-old also said that if they (people) did not vote for the Congress candidate, he would think that he did not have "any place" in Kalaburagi anymore.
Kharge's son-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani will contest for the party’s seat in Kalaburagi, against BJP's sitting MP Umesh Jadhav.
If you miss your vote this time (if you don't vote for the Congress candidate), I will think that I don't have any place here for me and I could not win your heart," said Kharge, who won the Lok Sabha elections here in 2009 and 2014, but lost in 2019.
"Whether you vote for us (Congress) or not, but at least come to my funeral if you think that I have done for Kalaburagi," the Congress chief said.
He further stated that the entire nation was united to defeat him in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and several others had camped in Kalaburagi to defeat him.
“I was confident that the people of Kalaburagi would not respond to them. Unfortunately, I faced defeat in the polls. You are aware of the development works done by me as an MP and minister. I will assume that there’s no place for me in your heart if the Congress party loses again,” he said.
Kharge while lashing out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said that BJP will not win even 200 seats, let alone go past 400.
“I am born for politics. Whether or not I will contest the election, I will strive till my last breath to save the Constitution and democracy of this country. I will not retire from politics,” the 81-year-old, who holds the rare distinction of nine consecutive wins in Assembly elections, added.
He also said that he would continue in politics till his last breath to "defeat" the BJP and RSS ideology.
The voting for Kalbaurgi is scheduled for third phase of the 2024 election which is on May 7. Results for all seven phases - the first held on April 19, the second will be on Friday - will be declared on June 4.
