After winning 11 general elections in a row (nine Assembly elections and two Lok Sabha elections), Congress veteran M. Mallikarjun Kharge suffered a massive defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He was beaten on his home turf by his loyal follower-turned-rival Umesh Jadhav, BJP candidate, by a margin of 95,452 votes. It was his first electoral defeat in 47 years of political journey since 1972.
Five years down the line, Mr. Kharge, the man seen as having played a key role in special status to the region under Article 371(J) of the Constitution, is this time campaigning for his son-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani. It is a high-stakes battle for him as the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and the president of the All India Congress Committee. Mr. Doddamani is pitted against Mr. Jadhav who is recontesting from this reserved segment.
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