BENGALURU : Exit polls have predicted a big win for the BJP in the Sira and Rajarajeshwari Nagar bypolls, but Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D K Shivakumar believes otherwise. “Exit polls have predicted the outcome based on their estimation. We are confident that people have blessed us,” Shivakumar told The New Indian Express.
The two seats make a little difference to the government or the opposition, but being his debut electoral battle as KPCC chief, it matters to Shivakumar — especially because both Sira and RR Nagar are Vokkaliga-dominated seats. The CBI raids on his properties in the run-up to the election made it more personal for the Vokkaliga leader. Apart from losing their MLAs to the BJP, Congress has also lost many of its local and grassroots level leaders.
Party leaders agree that the loss of this cadre has made a dent in RR Nagar. “I made a big blunder by giving full responsibility to these leaders. This won’t happen in the future,” Shivakumar said. Cultivating new leadership, Congress believes, is the way forward apart from stopping the cadre drain. Congress workers aspiring for party posts and Assembly poll tickets have been dispatched to work in elections at the grassroots, including Taluk Agricultural Produce Co-operative Marketing Society polls. Shivakumar himself was in Kanakapura for these polls on Sunday.
Those around Shivakumar insist that there is a conscious effort to change his public perception from that of a ‘popular leader’ to a ‘mass leader’ cutting across caste lines. He has a team of young party workers doing this, but is also open to outside assistance. “I don’t need ‘rebranding’. I rely on my experience, but will not reject any suggestions. I am open to their (private consultancy) technology and strategy. I will be happy if something good comes out of different people putting their minds together but these groups are not able to convince me till now,” he said.
While losing both seats will come as a loss of face for Shivakumar, party leaders are keen on sharing the responsibility. “Whatever may be the result, I am happy that the entire cadre has worked together,” he said, insisting that his political experience in fielding Kusuma in Rajarajeshwari Nagar has proved right. “When we started campaigning with Kusuma, there was no support. But now even the exit polls predict over 3o per cent vote share for her. That is a big number for a new face with no presence or experience. We will look at more new faces,” he added.