Congress MLA Ranganath renews debate on change of guard, bats for 'guru' Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Oct 1 (PTI): Kunigal Congress MLA H D Ranganath on Wednesday reignited the debate on a possible change of guard in Karnataka, stating that he wished to see his "political Guru," Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, ascending the Chief Minister's chair one day.
He emphasised that the party high command should recognise Shivakumar's role in securing Congress' victory with 140 seats in the 224-member Karnataka assembly in 2023.
"For me, my political Guru is D K Shivakumar. We have seen how he does social service, achieved administrative acumen and carried out development," Ranganath, who is the DCM's relative, told reporters here.
"Every leader today says that Congress got 140 seats (in the Karnataka assembly) due to his efforts. So the party high command should decide due position and recognition for him," he added.
The MLA said he firmly believed that Shivakumar, who is also the Congress' state president, should eventually lead Karnataka.
"It is obvious to expect that the high command should decide keeping in view the wish of Congress workers, cadres and the voters of Karnataka," he said, adding that he hoped it would become a reality "in the coming days."
Highlighting Shivakumar's commitment to public service, Ranganath said, "show me if there is any leader who toils from 8 am till 3 am. He has the blessings of God and the party high command and he has won people's love and trust, so he will become the chief minister."
When asked when this would happen, Ranganath replied that he was "too small to make such prophecies," and that it was for the high command to decide.
"Presently, our Chief Minister Siddaramaiah introduced the five guarantees keeping in mind the poor populace of the state, which is model for the country but D K Shivakumar will become Chief Minister in the coming days," he insisted.
Asked specifically whether Shivakumar would become CM in November this year, Ranganath said he would not comment as he had no such information. "It is left to the High Command," he maintained.
Echoing similar sentiments, former Mandya MP L R Shivarame Gowda also asserted that there was no doubt about Shivakumar'sfuture.
"But who should decide this? The party high command. The high command knows when and what should be done and how to take forward the party along with Chief Minister and the DCM together," Gowda told reporters in Mandya.
He added that the fruits of one's struggle should not be questioned.
To a query on when Shivakumar would assume charge, Gowda replied it will happen in November. "We all believe that Shivakumar would become Chief Minister. This is the information I have."
The latest comments come despite a stern warning from the party leadership to Congress cadres against speaking publicly about a leadership change in Karnataka. Several leaders have already been served show-cause notices for such remarks.
On July 11 this year, Siddaramaiah categorically stated that he would complete his full five-year term as Chief Minister, quelling speculation of a mid-term arrangement.
There were speculations earlier about a 'pact' under which Siddaramaiah would lead the government for the first half of the five-year tenure, followed by Shivakumar for the remaining two-and-a-half years. That first phase is set to end in November—now just a month away.
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Fascism will not be allowed to enter through the back door of vote rigging: CM Siddaramaiah
New Delhi: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday asserted that fascism would not be allowed to enter India “through the back door of vote rigging” and called upon citizens to collectively defend the country’s democratic foundations.
Speaking after participating in an anti–vote rigging protest organised in New Delhi, Siddaramaiah said the gathering was not merely a political demonstration but a stand to protect Indian democracy. “We have come to the heart of our republic not as Congress workers or voters, but as protectors of Indian democracy,” he said.
Emphasising the importance of the right to vote, Siddaramaiah said it was the most sacred right guaranteed by the Constitution and the very foundation of democracy.
“Through voting, a farmer shapes the future of his children, a worker safeguards his dignity, a youth realises dreams, and a nation expresses its collective will,” he said.
He accused the BJP-led Union government of attempting to undermine this right through what he termed systematic vote rigging, including the alleged misuse of the special revision of electoral rolls. “This power is being stolen repeatedly,” he alleged.
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Warning against authoritarian tendencies, Siddaramaiah said history had shown that dictatorship does not begin with violence but with the misuse of institutions and manipulation of democratic systems.
“Across the world, authoritarian regimes pretend to protect democracy while quietly subverting it. This is what the BJP is doing today,” he charged.
He alleged that the ruling party was controlling institutions, intimidating electoral machinery, distorting voter lists, suppressing voter turnout in opposition strongholds, and misusing money and power. “This is not mere maladministration. Vote rigging is an attack on the very idea of India,” he said.
Siddaramaiah further claimed that governments formed through “stolen votes” could not be considered democratic.
“Such regimes survive through fear, fraud and distortion of the people’s mandate,” he said, adding that vote rigging posed the biggest threat to the republic since Independence.
Praising Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Siddaramaiah said he had shown exceptional courage in exposing alleged irregularities in voter lists, booth-level manipulation and “systematic, organised vote rigging” across several states, including Karnataka, Haryana and Bihar.
Referring to Karnataka, Siddaramaiah cited Mahadevpura and Aland constituencies as examples highlighted by Gandhi. In Mahadevpura, he said, thousands of allegedly fake and fraudulent voter entries and discrepancies in electoral rolls pointed to a narrow BJP victory. In Aland, he said, attempts were made to remove the names of legitimate voters ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections.
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He noted that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) had recently filed a chargesheet accusing seven persons, including a former BJP MLA and his son, of attempting to delete the names of around 6,000 voters in Aland.
“This is a significant legal step in the fight against vote rigging,” he said.
Siddaramaiah concluded by stating that the fight against vote rigging was rooted in constitutional morality, Ambedkarite thought and the core principle of democracy. “Sovereignty belongs to the people, not to any party, regime or those who seek to steal elections,” he said.
