BENGALURU: Sharing the dais with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at a programme to observe the Congress Foundation Day at the KPCC office on Sunday, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar claimed that he, being a Vokkaliga, is from an other backward caste (OBC).
Coming in the backdrop of the intense power struggle between the two leaders, political observers have interpreted Shivakumar’s comment as a message that Siddaramaiah alone is not a backward class leader.
“Do you know that I am also an OBC; are not Vokkaligas OBCs? Lingayats are OBC, Brahmins with no income are OBC,” he said. He said the party has called applications from aspirants who want the party ticket to contest the polls to five corporations under Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) in the near future. Rs 50,000 has been fixed for general category candidates and Rs 25,000 for SC/STs.
When the audience demanded that OBCs and women should also be given concession, Shivakumar claimed that he himself is an OBC and rejected their request.
But Siddaramaiah and Energy Minister K J George intervened and suggested that women should be given concession. Acceding to their suggestion, Shivakumar said it will be Rs 25,000 for women aspirants too.
Meanwhile, a few JDS leaders from Yeshwanthpur Assembly constituency joined the Congress on the occasion.
Student union polls
Shivakumar said a nine-member committee, including ministers Dr Sharan Prakash Patil, Dr M C Sudhakar, MLCs Saleem Ahmed and Puttanna, has been formed to get a report on introducing college union polls. The polls had helped the students like him emerge as leaders which were banned of late, he said.
“In Congress, those who sit on the stage are not leaders, the workers at the booth level are the real leaders, and our Congress was established 140 years ago,” he said.