Amid a power tussle within the Congress over projecting a chief ministerial face, Karnataka Congress chief D.K. Shivakumar tells The Hindu in an interview that projecting Mr. Siddaramaiah last time didn’t help the party.
Edited excerpts.
Was the Freedom March on August 15 to counter the aggressive nationalism of the BJP, an issue over which it often tries to corner the Congress?
The BJP never believed in nationalism as they don’t believe in the unity of this country. They always believe in division. From the day the Congress won freedom for the country, we are trying to take the country forward and see that all sections of the people of the country are safe. If Congress is in power, it can take along every section of the society. India’s culture is to be united. The tricolour flag, the Constitution and democracy have to be safeguarded and the country's integrity, peace and social justice has to be maintained.
I gave a call to the people of Karnataka that this will be a non-political event. Though the Congress party heads it, you all are to participate with your family. I never took my wife or children in any of my political programmes but seeing their father’s effort, my children themselves came forward, held the national flag and marched. More than 25,000 students from various institutions joined in.
In Karnataka, the BJP has blamed the Congress for planting ‘rumours’ about changing the Chief Minister and thereby create a sense of instability.
It is quite obvious that they have to blame some opposition party for their own wounds. It is not me but the ministers of the sitting government, MLAs, former Union Minister are telling about the leadership change, corruption, and what all is there. They have been internally speaking as well in public. So being an opposition party, it is our duty to tell the truth.
Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi talked about a united Congress but we often see leaders differing over the issue of chief ministerial face. Mr Siddaramaiah’s supporters want him to be declared as the chief ministerial candidate while your supporters want you to be the face.
I don't have any followers for myself. I don't believe in any followers. One man with courage makes a majority. I am the leader. The entire Congress party cadres are our party. I don't believe in groupism or in any parallel system. Whatever the party high command tells me, it is my duty to follow. My duty is to deliver Karnataka to Shrimati Sonia Gandhi [Congress president].
Don't you think that not having a chief ministerial face can be a disadvantage?.
We had Mr. Siddaramaiah as Chief Minister for five years. None of us disturbed him, none did any dissident activities against him. We all stood like a rock with him. Mr. [Rahul] Gandhi stood like a rock with him, gave him the maximum strength and support. He was declared as the Chief Ministerial candidate [in 2018]. He could not deliver, we lost. In various States also, it has happened. And now there is no option. The party decided that we will all go with collective leadership; we will all join and work in a collective leadership. I am sure that we will come back to power.
So, you don’t need a chief ministerial face for next year’s Asssembly elections?
It is not needed, it is not needed and it will not help us.
How do you look at the BJP bringing back former Chief Minister and Lingayat leader B.S. Yeddyuruppa into the Parliamentary Board, the party’s top decision making body?
I am also very closely watching the BJP activities. After Mr. Narendra Modi took over as the Prime Minister and we have a lot of respect for the position he is holding, I don’t of a single incident where the parliamentary body has met and executed what they have decided. For namesake, there may be a Parliamentary Board.
One has seen a lot of polarizing themes so far: the controversy over hijab, Tipu Sultan and now over V D Savarkar’s posters. How will you counter?
Karnataka has a history of a very progressive culture and a developed State. Mr. Bommai [Chief Minister B Bommai] has given a budget last year, they have a mighty government at the national level and at the state level with a big number. If they had convinced the people on development, progress, employment, corruption free government, why was all this needed. Now they are just trying to cover all these issues on a polarising plank.
