Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday brushed aside questions over the reported internal churn within the state Congress regarding the Chief Minister’s post, saying he would neither “embarrass” nor “weaken” the party at a time it must stay focussed on upcoming national and state polls.
“I believe in conscience. We should work according to conscience. I don’t want to embarrass the party or weaken the party,” Shivakumar told reporters in Kanakapura, Bengaluru South district.
DKS’ silence on reports of power-sharing discussions
Speculation over a possible power-sharing discussion intensified after reports that party chief Mallikarjun Kharge had travelled to Delhi. Shivakumar declined to comment.
“I don’t know about this matter. This is a secret matter between five or six of us. I will not reveal it. The CM is a senior leader and an asset to our party. He has been CM for 7.5 years. He has said that he will present the next budget himself. Very happy. He has worked hard as the Leader of the Opposition. He has built the party. We should all focus on the goal of the 2028 and 2029 elections together,” he said.
Pressed on whether supporters were praying for him to take over as Chief Minister, the DCM recalled the time he was jailed under the previous BJP government.
“Rather than praying now for me to get power, I cannot forget the prayers my mothers, youth and elders offered to the temple priests when I went to jail. When I was released from prison during the BJP era, people welcomed me without hesitation, even under the threat of the police,” he said.
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Shivakumar recalls public support during jail term
He spoke at length about that period, adding:
“When I was in jail, police officer Bhaskar Rao threatened me not to protest against Karave Narayana Gowda. Some Swamijis came, some did not. Former CM Kumaraswamy made a different statement in Channapatna. Many people came to our house, spoke to my wife and children, and filled me with courage. People had prayed for me that day with vows. I am still unable to fulfil the vows I made then. Many did not put on slippers until I was released. Today I am the DCM and the party president. The prayers I gave during difficult times filled me with self-confidence, which is very special to me.”
DKS says leadership mandate was collective, not personal
Asked whether voters in the district backed him personally, he stressed collective leadership. “I have also asked people to vote for me in all the constituencies, including Mahadevappa’s constituency and Mandya, during the elections. People have voted for our collective leadership. I will not say that they voted for me alone. Our workers have put in more effort than we have in 224 constituencies.”
Shivakumar, who attended a workers’ election on Tuesday, said he considered it his duty to participate.
“Workers are us. When Ramakrishna Hegde was the CM, I, Srikanthaiah, contested the election for this same seat. The rest contested as independents. That was the first election of my political life. I won this election in Kanakapura and was elected as the director. At that time, Oscar Fernandes stayed in the same building for a month and conducted the election. This is the workers’ election. If the workers are conducting my election, I will be derelict in duty if I do not come and vote in their election. We will be strong only if the workers are strong. They asked me to compromise in the election,” he said.
Shivakumar calls for rebuilding organisation after poll setbacks
On the need to strengthen the party organisation after recent electoral setbacks, he added: “We have said we should hold the election ourselves and let the workers experience it. We were very disappointed during the parliamentary elections; there were no agents for many booths. We did not know how the attack happened. We will correct our mistake. Who is our enemy in politics? We need to know. In this election, we will know who is for us and who is against us. That is why we are holding elections.”
He again emphasised the importance of internal organisational polls: “No party can exist if the party does not have its original form. This is our origin. The society, milk union, PLD, municipality, and panchayats are like our assets. There are 300 small votes here, yet 300 leaders have come out in support of the workers’ victory. Therefore, no matter how much work pressure I am under, I am coming and voting. If we did not come, it means that the leaders did not come and vote. Why should we vote? They will insult the villages,” he said.
On reports that a few MLAs had gone to Delhi to lobby on his behalf, Shivakumar distanced himself: “Those who aspire to be ministers have gone; I do not know about the attempt to make me the CM. I have not called them, I have not sent them. I will not question why you went.”
DKS avoids comment on power-sharing formula
Regarding talk of a power-sharing formula, he declined comment. “Why should I talk about it? You (the media) are writing something,” he said.