Story Of Thumping Victory: DK Shivakumar's journey from student leader to Karnataka's DyCM

From being a member of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) to the student wing of the Congress, DK Shivakumar has risen to become the party's Karnataka president and now a deputy chief minister.

The grand old party announced Shivakumar as the deputy CM of Karnataka after Congress crossed the 113-seat mark in the Assembly elections, the majority required to form the government in Karnataka, winning 136 seats, ousting the BJP from its only southern perch. The BJP bagged 65 seats, and the JDS (Janata Dal-Secular) won 19 seats.

DK Shivakumar's political career 

Known as a mass leader, Shivakumar began his political career at the age of 18 when he joined NSUI, the Congress's student wing, and in no time rose to the position of president for the Bangalore district unit (1981–1983).

DK Shivakumar joined the Youth Congress while attending Ram Narayan Chellaram College in Bangalore, where he later won the position of General Secretary for the organisation's State Unit.

DK Shivakumar Vs. HD Deve Gowda 

His political career got off to a rocky start in 1985 when he faced off against former Prime Minister, HD Deve Gowda, the most powerful leader of the Janata Dal (Secular), in the Satanur Legislative Assembly Constituency.

Deve Gowda and Shivakumar fought valiantly, but Deve Gowda emerged victorious.

The Congress leader was chosen from the Satanur constituency to serve on the Bengaluru Rural Zilla Panchayat in 1987.

He ran in 1989 as a member of the Indian National Congress Party from the Satanur Legislative Assembly Constituency. He won with a thumping majority.

Shivakumar, who was then the youngest Minister in his Cabinet, was named Minister for Prisons after playing a significant role in the election of the Sarekoppa Bangarappa Government in 1991.

His opponents were successful in keeping him off the party ticket in the subsequent election in 1994, nevertheless. Shivakumar entered the race as a renegade candidate and kept on winning.

Shivakumar backed SM Krishna when he was chosen as the Karnataka Congress's president in 1999. Shivakumar played a crucial role in the Congress Party's win and the formation of the government in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly elections, which the party swept to victory.

Krishna began the election campaign by blowing the Panchajanya, but Shivakumar had already planned a historic yatra that gave the Congress Party 139 seats and enabled it to create the government on its own. Shivakumar was able to win once more, making it three straight victories. Krishna gave him the position of Cabinet Minister and gave him the responsibility for cooperation. Shivakumar received accolades for his dedication from 1999 to 2002.

Shivakumar held the positions of Chairman of the State Planning Board and Minister of Urban Development in 2002. He oversaw the "Rajiv Yuva Shakti" organisations to organise the youth and acclimatise them to life in the state as the Chairman of the Cabinet Sub-committee.

He was instrumental in starting Stree Shakthi, the first women's empowerment organisation in the world.In 1999, the Congress Party gave a ticket to Shivakumar to contest against Deve Gowda's son, HD Kumaraswamy, from the Satanur constituency once again.

Kumaraswamy lost the election, despite Deve Gowda enjoying the glitz of being the prime minister. Victory went to Shivakumar.

Dharam Singh was appointed Chief Minister in 2004, the year the Congress-JDS Coalition Government was originally constituted. SM Krishna was excluded at the request of the coalition partner.

Krishna, however, was given the position of Governor of Maharashtra by Shivakumar, who convinced the party's top brass to make the decision.

In the Satanur Legislative Assembly constituency in 2004, Shivakumar won with ease for a record-breaking fourth time. The Congress Party did not, however, manage to secure a majority.

The Congress Party had to join forces with the Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) since it lacked the required majority to establish the government on its own.

He led the party to an emphatic victory in the recently concluded Assembly polls, ending the BJP's rule in the only southern state it ruled. Shivakumar will be sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka on May 20.