Here's why DK Shivakumar wants to contest from JD(S) stronghold Channapatna in by-election
Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister, D K Shivakumar, has sparked speculation by indicating his interest in contesting the upcoming Assembly bypoll from the seat vacated by H D Kumaraswamy of the Janata Dal (Secular).
During a recent visit to Channapatna, Shivakumar expressed a sentimental attachment to the constituency, citing it as the starting point of his political career. He emphasized the potential for development in Channapatna, akin to his efforts in Kanakapura, his current stronghold.
“Channapatna is in my heart. It was part of the erstwhile Sathanur Assembly constituency that I represented. My political career actually started there. The people of Channaptna have been with me in tough times and I have a debt to repay,” he said.
“There is an opportunity to develop Channapatna in the same way I have developed Kanakapura (his current constituency). I am discussing with the local leaders and voters, and will make a decision on contesting later,” Shivakumar added.
The move is seen as a strategic bid to regain political ground within the Vokkaliga community, traditionally aligned with the JD(S), and to bolster his aspirations for the Chief Minister’s post.
Shivakumar suffered a personal loss, with his brother DK Suresh losing from the family bastion of Bengaluru Rural to Kumaraswamy’s brother-in-law C N Manjunath who contested on a BJP ticket.
The announcement comes in the wake of electoral setbacks for the Congress in Karnataka.
Shivakumar's political fortunes soared last year when he led the Congress to a decisive victory in the Assembly elections. The party secured 39 out of 61 seats in the Vokkaliga stronghold of south Karnataka, notably capturing six of seven seats in Mandya. This marked a significant increase from the 17 seats won in the region in 2018.
However, within 18 months, setbacks followed in the Lok Sabha elections. Out of 14 seats in south Karnataka, the Congress managed to retain only one in Hassan. This contrasted sharply with the 2019 elections when the party had held Bengaluru Rural. The results showed the emergence of a formidable JD(S)-BJP coalition as a counterbalance to the Congress in Karnataka.
The recent electoral losses in south Karnataka are seen as bolstering Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's position while weakening Shivakumar's influence. This development has boosted the spirits of several Congress leaders eyeing deputy chief minister or even chief ministerial roles if Siddaramaiah were to step down prematurely.
Looking ahead, Shivakumar's strategy, pending approval from the Congress high command, may involve contesting himself or backing Suresh in Channapatna. Shivakumar might vacate the secure seat of Kanakapura for his brother if he finds success in the by-election.
The JD(S) is reported to be considering fielding Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil in a third attempt at electoral success while the BJP’s front-runner is former minister C P Yogeshwar, a local strongman whom Kumaraswamy defeated in 2023 and in the past has joined hands with Shivakumar to defeat JD(S) candidates in the region.
After Shivakumar’s remarks, Kumaraswamy said, “The Deputy CM who has not stepped into Channapatna even once since coming to power has developed a sudden fondness for the region. He is talking about the development of Channapatna. People will decide about their love for Channapatna.”
Yogeshwar, who is now an MLC, said, “He (Shivakumar) is embarking on an impossible mission by trying to win Channapatna to become the CM. He can begin a new phase in his political career from Channapatna or his career could end in Channapatna as well. Let him contest. He is now the Deputy CM of the state. He is in the evening of his political career. He knows it. He has seen many ups and downs in his political career.”
Responding to the BJP leader, Shivakumar said people would decide if he was nearing the end of his political career or not. “I am from the region, I have asked the voters for support, I have asked them to strengthen me. I am not forcing them. They will support me if they have confidence in me,” he said.
Channapatna, Shiggaon and Sandur will also be witnessing bypolls on account of the Lok Sabha victories of their sitting MLAs Basavaraj Bommai and Congress leader E Tukaram, respectively.
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Manmohan Singh saved India from economic crisis and debt trap: Deve Gowda
Bengaluru (PTI): Terming former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's death a "great loss" for the nation, JDS supremo H D Deve Gowda on Friday credited him with "saving the country" from an economic crisis and preventing it from falling into a "debt trap".
The former Prime Minister described Singh as a simple, honest, and gentlemanly figure. Manmohan Singh, the architect of India's economic reforms, passed away in New Delhi on Thursday night at the age of 92.
Manmohan Singh served as the Finance Minister in the Narasimha Rao government in 1991, during one of the most critical economic periods in the country's history. He took on the responsibility and did his utmost to save the nation from the economic crises, Gowda said.
Speaking to reporters, he said otherwise, the country would have fallen into a debt trap. "Such was the severity of the situation. To address this, the Narasimha Rao government with Singh as the Finance Minister made the decision to pledge 130 tonnes of gold."
Singh then introduced economic reforms such as liberalisation, privatisation, and foreign direct investment, Gowda said, adding that all these initiatives were implemented by him as Finance Minister under Prime Minister Narasimha Rao.
Manmohan Singh was a distinguished economist who worked at the World Bank, served as the Reserve Bank Governor, and acted as an advisor to the Government of India. With his vast experience, he went on to serve the nation for ten years as Prime Minister. His death is a great loss to the nation, he added.
