The story of Mallikarjun Kharge who're eyeing party's biggest prize:

The rise and fall of leaders is explained by the devout in terms of destiny. Others claim that, aside from, of course, intrigues and intrigue, it is a mix of several elements, including time, circumstances, diplomacy, and craft. Mallikarjun Kharge, who was unsuccessful in his three attempts to become the chief minister of Karnataka but is now poised to lead the Congress, is the only person who could possibly understand it.

The 80-year-old veteran, who despite being a steadfast supporter of the Gandhi family, lost out to S M Krishna, his close friend Dharam Singh, and Siddaramaiah, respectively, in 1999, 2004, and 2013. It is known that the wound from those missed opportunities to become CM still hurts him.

However, the nine-time MLA, former student leader, and president of the Gulbarga City Congress never gave up and never rebelled. Being one of the most well-known Dalit faces of the Congress and coming from a state where the party still has some support, he was forced to settle for the infrequent prize of being the party's leader in the Lok Sabha and, more recently, the Rajya Sabha.

The Gandhi family's support appears to be on Kharge's side for the position of national president, but the final prize is now expected to fall into his lap. The conclusion won't be officially known until October 19 since Kharge and Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor are in a race for the position.

The Congress was reduced to to 44 seats in the Lok Sabha following a devastating defeat in 2014, which presented Kharge with his greatest opportunity. Kharge, who had previously won in Gulbarga, was appointed head of the Congress in the Lok Sabha. Invoking the Mahabharata, Kharge is credited with saying: "The Pandavas would never be terrified by a hundred Kauravas, even though we may be 44 in the Lok Sabha." Then, for five years, he spearheaded a fierce campaign for the party in the Lok Sabha.