Advertisement

Updated May 16th, 2023 at 18:41 IST

What upholds DK Shivakumar's claim to Karnataka CM post? Here's all you need to know

Unlike Siddaramaiah who joined the Congress party in 2006, Shivakumar has remained as a flag bearer of the Congress since the 1980s.

Reported by: Ronit Singh
DK Shivakumar
Image: PTI | Image:self
Advertisement

Kannadigas have given a clear edge to the Congress party in the Karnataka assembly elections 2023 with the party winning 135 seats out of 224. The results have brought immense satisfaction to the party's top brass but the biggest challenge is to decide on the next Karnataka Chief Minister face, in which heavyweights DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah are the front runners. 

The loyalty of DK Shivakumar to the Congress party has remained constant for over three decades and it makes his supporters believe that their leader has every right to claim Karnataka's top post. Unlike Siddaramaiah who joined the Congress party in 2006 after his exit from the JD(S), Shivakumar has remained as flag bearer of the Congress since his youth days. 

Congress' flag bearer since 1980s 

Shivakuamr, born on May 15, 1962, in Kanakapura to Doddalahalli Kempe Gowda and Gouramma, has been a staunch Congressman from the beginning. He started his political career in the early 1980s as a student leader and gradually rose through the ranks of Congress. From the Sathanur constituency in Mysuru district in 1989, he won his first assembly elections to enter the Karnataka legislative assembly as a Congress legislator. He went on to be re-elected from the same constituency in 1994, 1999 and 2004. Later, he registered victory in the Kanakapura constituency in 2008, 2013, 2018 and 2023. 

Congress' crisis manager 

The 61-year-old Kanakapura legislator, DK Shivakumar has been seen always on his toes when it came to saving his party from major setbacks. Shivakumar has mastered keeping flocks together which has helped the Congress safeguard their government in many states and not only in Karnataka. 

In 2002 when Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh of the Congress was facing a no-confidence motion, Shivakumar was given the onerous task to host Maharashtra MLAs in a Bengaluru resort. He looked after them for a week, escorted them back to Mumbai and saved the Congress government. In several other instances, Shivakumar has proved his mettle to stand as a troubleshooter for his party. 

Shivakumar's strategies and efforts to keep up his party can also play a pivotal to ensure Congress' stand in Karnataka during the 2024 general elections, another reason that justifies his claim for the chief ministerial post. Further, since 2020, when he took charge as Karnataka Congress chief, he brought several organisational changes that strengthened the Congress party to play the opposition role in the current outgoing assembly.

Shivakumar's influence in the Vokkaliga community 

A significant portion of the Vokkaliga community, regarded as one of the biggest groups in Karnataka, supports Shivakumar which gives him a robust base of support. Shivakumar is also one of the most prominent Vokkaliga faces of the Congress party in Karnataka, which can prove instrumental in revitalising the party further in the southern citadel.

Despite strong forces favouring Shivakumar as the front-runner for the CM post, there are many elements working against him. For instance, the latter has many legal cases pending against him including cases by the Income Tax Department and the Enforcement Directorate. 

Advertisement

Published May 16th, 2023 at 11:00 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending Quicks

MP: ASI Continues Survey of Disputed Bhojshala Complex, Muslim Body Submits Objection
a few seconds ago
Congress Press Conference
6 minutes ago
Raw Mango
6 minutes ago
Gen Z worker goes to the salon while “working from home”
8 minutes ago
Lionel Messi
10 minutes ago
Jailed Gangster Mukhtar Ansari Passes Away
11 minutes ago
Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE
14 minutes ago
Tie-dye printed shirts
20 minutes ago
Sri Lanka on High Alert on Good Friday
21 minutes ago
Gautam Gambhir gets into a fight with Virat Kohli
21 minutes ago
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo