Release of DKS a victory for Congress ahead of bypolls in Karnataka

Bengaluru, Oct 24: The release of Vokkaliga stalwart D K Shivakumar has come as a shot in the arm for the Congress at a time when it was struggling to gear up for fthe December 5 bypolls in Karnataka.

Shivakumar’s presence on the state scene is expected to give the Congress — reeling from poll debacles, desertions and scandals — much-needed traction. “His release will boost our campaign and prospects in the byelections,” said a senior Congress leader.

Supporters are hoping Shivakumar will be made state Congress president, replacing incumbent Dinesh Gundurao. It is no secret that Shivakumar has been aspiring for the post.

However, the big challenge for Shivakumar is to work in tandem with Congress Legislature Party leader and former chief minister Siddaramaiah. This is crucial for the party’s prospects in the bypolls. Given his track record as a poll strategist and experience as campaign committee chairman in the 2018 elections, Shivakumar will help consolidate the Vokkaliga community vote.

But it won’t be easy since he could upset the ‘monopoly’ Siddaramaiah appears to have established. It could also lead to divisions as a section of senior leaders who had opposed Siddaramaiah’s candidature for the opposition leader’s post, are expected to rally behind Shivakumar.

“The rivalry between Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah is likely to intensify,” one leader said. “They need to bury the hatchet for the sake of the party. Siddaramaiah also has to set his ego aside.”

But it might take time for Shivakumar to get going. “The legal course of the Enforcement Directorate’s case and the possibility of the CBI filing a case against him looms large,” said a Congress leader.

There is opposition to Shivakumar too within a section of the Congress. Some say it will be detrimental to make him party president while he is facing court cases.

But former speaker KR Ramesh Kumar, who is identified with the Siddaramaiah camp, said: “It is natural Shivakumar gets a significant role in terms of leading the party. We can expect some positive change after the bypolls.”

The ruling BJP will be reduced to a minority if the party fails to win at least eight seats in the bypolls. The saffron is naturally worried as a Shivakumar-Siddaramaiah combination could prove formidable if they really get going.