Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge reprimanded party workers in Bengaluru for chanting slogans praising DK Shivakumar during a party event [1].
The incident highlights internal tensions regarding the balance between individual leadership popularity and collective party discipline within the organization. Kharge's reaction suggests a low tolerance for personality-driven displays that may overshadow official party agendas.
The confrontation occurred during the Sankalpa Samavesha event in Bengaluru [1]. While attending the gathering, Kharge reacted when workers began shouting "DK-DK" slogans in support of Shivakumar [1].
Kharge called the workers "useless fellows" and said that there is no worship of individuals at such events [2]. He said that the gathering was intended for the party programme, which is designed to bring all members together rather than elevate a single person [2].
During the rebuke, Kharge questioned whether the entire country would be affected if workers shouted in that manner [2]. He said that the event was a party programme and not an individual's programme [2].
The Congress President said that such behavior contradicts the party's goals and could undermine unity [3]. He said that disciplinary action could follow for those who prioritize the worship of individuals over the party's collective mission [3].
Shivakumar, a prominent figure in the Karnataka Congress, was the subject of the chants that triggered the response [1]. The event was meant to foster party solidarity, but the outburst from the party president shifted the focus toward internal discipline [1].
“"You useless fellows... There is no worship of individuals here"”
This public reprimand signals a strategic effort by the Congress leadership to curb the rise of regional power centers and personality cults. By framing the slogans as 'individual worship,' Kharge is asserting the primacy of the party structure over individual popularity, a move likely intended to prevent factionalism from destabilizing the organization's unified front.
