Congress workers adopt BJP’s ‘Abki Baar’ slogan to pile pressure on Karnataka CM pick

With the Election Commission of India's trends revealing that Congress has crossed the majority mark of 113 seats in the Karnataka Assembly election 2023, a faction of the party has started to root for DK Shivakumar as the next chief minister of the state. Taking a cue from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress workers supporting Shivakumar raised slogans of “Abki Baar DK Sarkar”.

Shivakumar is the current President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee and played a key role during the entire election campaign. He is the candidate from Kanakpura constituency in the Ramanagaram district. Shivakumar has bagged more than 50,484 votes in Kanakapura, leaving behind the BJP's R Ashoka (8,530) by a huge margin, according to the latest Election Commission trends. 

#WATCH | Congress party workers celebrate at the residence of Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakaumar in Bengaluru as the Congress party surges ahead and crosses the halfway mark in #KaranatakaElectionResults pic.twitter.com/BNf6zZ78BY

— ANI (@ANI)

Shivakumar is a seven-time MLA who has been undefeated in Kanakapura since 2008. The MLA has expressed his desire to become the CM long before this serious demand for his Chief Ministership came to the fore. Earlier this month, Shivakumar told Republic that he does aspire to become the CM but said that the final decision will be made by the Congress leadership. "Who said I don't have any aspirations? I'm a politician and not a sanyasi. My duty is to bring the Congress party to power and the party's high command will decide. The leadership will take its call on the democratic political process," he said at the time. 

Shivakumar or Siddaramaiah for new Karnataka CM?

Another key Congress candidate, former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah is ahead with 18,661 votes, followed by BJP candidate V Somanna (13,180 votes). Celebrations have already begun at both Shivakumar's and Siddaramaiah's residences in Bengaluru as the party is now confident about securing a majority win. Just a day before the elections on May 10, both candidates visited the Chamundeshwari Temple in Mysuru. While many are backing Shivakumar as the new CM, Siddaramaiah also might be considered for the role which he previously held from 2013 to 2018. Meanwhile, Congress is currently leading in 123 constituencies, followed by the BJP (70) and the Janata Dal-Secular (26). 

Congress will win over 120 seats: Shivakumar

"Congress party will win by getting over 120 seats, it is still the initial stage, more rounds of counting have to be completed. So Congress will come to power by getting over 120 seats on its strength," Shivakumar told reporters. "I had been saying let Narendra Modi or Amit Shah or J P Nadda come how many ever times they want to the state (but) that will have no impact on the voters of Karnataka because people are fed up with BJP,  their corruption, maladministration and their anti-people politics," he added saying that the BJP did no developmental work and thus people wanted a change.