As the Old Mysore region where Vokkaligas are a dominant community goes to polls in another two days, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said on Tuesday that people who want him to be Chief Minister “won’t be disappointed”.
“I know you want me to become the Chief Minister. Your hopes won’t be belied. Vote for the son of your house. I will serve you,” he said. Mr. Shivakumar was campaigning in Harohalli, Bengaluru Rural constituency, for his brother D.K. Suresh.
The statement comes amidst a coalition between the JD(S), said to be a predominantly Vokkaliga party, and the BJP for the Lok Sabha elections.
Mr. Shivakumar, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, claimed the Chief Minister’s post in 2023 after the party won a big majority of 135 seats. However, Mr. Siddaramaiah was elected as Chief Minister and speculations are rife that there will be a leadership change midway through the Assembly term. Several close associates of the Chief Minister have campaigned in the ongoing Parliamentary polls saying that a good show by the Congress in the State would ensure Mr. Siddaramaiah continuing as Chief Minister for the full term.
On Tuesday, during his campaign speech at Harohalli, Mr. Shivakumar attacked JD(S) leaders H.D. Deve Gowda and H.D. Kumaraswamy for “deserting” Ramanagara district and making their family member C.N. Manjunath, cardiologist, contest on a BJP ticket. “Mr. Kumaraswamy was made Chief Minister by the people of Ramanagara. I would like to ask what should JD(S) workers do, now that you have fielded your family member from the BJP. I appeal to JD(S) workers not to be misled. Of the 16 MPs who were elected from the Janata Dal in Karnataka when Deve Gowda became the Prime Minister, 15 are today in other parties,” he said, in an attempt to woo JD(S) workers to the Congress.
