The real test for Kharge

Having made history twice in his political career, the veteran leader faces his most formidable challenge yet as he navigates the complexities of the forthcoming Assembly and Lok Sabha elections

Mapanna Mallikarjun Kharge is possibly the second leader in the history of independent India who has been the leader of the Opposition in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha and the president of a national party (L K Advani was the other). This testifies to the breadth of political experience of the 81-year-old.

This year, he made history for another reason. He became the first and only leader of Opposition to miss the Red Fort address of a Prime Minister, ostensibly for health reasons, something the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) refused to believe. During his reply to the