In a recent social media spat between Congress leader Priyank Kharge and the BJP’s Karnataka branch, Kharge took offense at being labeled a “dynast” and challenged the BJP to apply the same term to several of their leaders in Karnataka who hail from political families.
Kharge, a member of the state cabinet and son of Congress national chief Mallikarjun Kharge, responded robustly to the BJP’s insinuation of dynastic politics within the Congress party. He dared the BJP to use the term “dynast” for prominent BJP leaders in Karnataka, including BS Yediyurappa, BY Raghavendra, BY Vijayendra, Basavaraj Bommai, KS Eshwarappa, Tejasvi Surya, Jagadish Shettar, Shashikala Jolle, Umesh Jadhav, and Arvind Bellad, among others.
Additionally, Kharge offered to fund DNA tests for BJP leaders in Karnataka who have family members involved in politics, challenging their assertions of lineage purity. He questioned the legitimacy of the BJP’s accusations against him and his fellow Congress members.
This exchange followed an earlier jibe from the BJP Karnataka’s social media handle directed at Kharge, referring to him as “Mr. Dynast” and sarcastically urging him to bring in his “star campaigner” amidst criticism of the Election Commission’s scheduling of the Lok Sabha polls.
Kharge, in his statement to ANI, criticized the timing of the poll schedule, suggesting it favored the BJP’s campaign strategy and allowed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to maximize his influence across the country.
The escalating verbal sparring underscores the ongoing political tension between the Congress and BJP in Karnataka, with both parties leveraging social media to advance their narratives and attack opponents ahead of the upcoming elections.
