Although Karnataka Assembly elections are nine months away, the race to be the next chief ministerial candidate from Congress has purportedly intensified. Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D K Shivakumar implied that he would put his proverbial hat into the ring.
Shivakumar’s insinuation comes at a time when Siddaramaiah supporters have, on many occasions, hailed him as the next chief minister. There is a massive event being organised in Davangere to celebrate Siddaramaiah’s 75th birthday—being called ‘Siddaramotsava’—to project and glorify the Leader of the Opposition as the next chief minister in the media.
Shivakumar said he has reached his present position with his efforts, and appealed to the people—irrespective of community, caste and even party affiliation—to support the Congress, so that he may get a chance to become chief minister.
Participating in an interaction, organised by Mysuru District Journalists’ Association, here on Tuesday, he had replied to a question about his recent appeal to Vokkaligas—the community which he hails from—during one of their conventions in Bengaluru.
Shivakumar’s appeal is compared to that of former chief minister S M Krishna in 1999, when he sought the support of the Vokkaligas to catapult him to the top state legislative position. Shivakumar had said that a second chance has come in the Congress to anoint a Vokkaliga as the chief minister.
However, he was also quick to add that people from all of Karnataka should support him, irrespective of community, caste and party, because he is just a step to the coveted post. He asserted that his priority was to ensure that the Congress formed the next government, not of him becoming the chief minister.
“For me, the party is important, its flag is important, from day one. The party will decide on who will be the chief minister, once it gets a majority,” he said.
“There are no factions in Karnataka Congress. Following the defeat in the 2019 by-polls, I was made KPCC president, while Siddaramaiah was made Opposition Leader in the Legislative Assembly. All work for the party. There is only Congress faction. Factions are only a creation of the media,” he said.
Speaking about loyalists to individual leaders, he said he does not expect anyone to be loyal to him. “I demand loyalty of all party workers and leaders to be loyal to the Congress,” he said.