Congress party is not by or for individuals: Priyank Kharge

Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge on Wednesday (January 7, 2026) came down hard on former Minister and MLA KN Rajanna for his remarks that without Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the Congress will become irrelevant in the state.

Congress MLA Mr Rajanna had said on Tuesday that there would be no Congress without Siddaramaiah.

Speaking to reporters here, Mr. Kharge, without naming Mr. Rajanna, said it was wrong to make such statements after winning and coming to power. “The party is not formed by or for individuals. No one should forget that we (leaders) are here because of the workers. Neither I nor anyone else can be a leader without the workers,” Mr. Priyank said while replying to a question.

Asked about delays in appointing Congressional staff to boards and corporations, Mr. Kharge said they needed to be patient.

Mr. Kharge continued his tirade against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) after a special court issued notice to him and other Congress leaders in a defamation case. “RSS is an unregistered, unregulated and unconstitutional body. Why should we be afraid? I follow the Buddha-Basava ideology. Ambedkar’s struggle is in my blood,” Mr. Kharge said.

He further said: “Why is (RSS chief) Mohan Bhagwat getting pre-security clearance at taxpayers’ expense? “RSS doesn’t need to be around for another 100 years. “It would be better if everyone acted in accordance with the Constitution,” he said.