BENGALURU: A day after Bengaluru Rural MP D K Suresh’s surprise announcement that he may quit electoral politics, the BJP leadership attributed it to him losing all hope of his elder brother and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar becoming the Chief Minister.
Shivakumar’s Vokkaliga compatriot and former minister R Ashok asserted that Shivakumar will never become the CM as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will not share power. “Being a CM is a beggar’s dream for Shivakumar. Suresh understands this well, so he has started talking about quitting politics,” he said.
Ashok observed that Shivakumar’s stature as a political leader is not as tall as Siddaramaiah as the latter is like ‘Chanakya’ and is known for his Machiavellian master strokes. “For a man who can handle the likes of former PM H D Deve Gowda and former CM H D Kumaraswamy, handling Shivakumar is not a big deal. Like in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, there will not be any power sharing in Karnataka,’’ Ashoka said.
Shivakumar, however, tried to act as shadow chief minister by holding a series of meetings on his own,” he added. It may be noted that Ashoka, apart from his Padmanabha Nagar assembly constituency, was also pitched against Shivakumar by the party high command in the May 10 Assembly polls from Kanakapura Assembly seat. But the latter won with a landslide margin. Both Ashoka and Shivakumar were on good terms, according to sources. Which means, Ashoka has been sympathetic about Shivakumar’s chances of becoming CM becoming bleak, according to political pundits.
Likewise, another Vokkaliga leader and Mysuru MP Pratap Simha had also alleged that Siddaramaiah has been shooting at Shivakumar by placing his gun on the shoulder of Medium and Large Industries Minister M B Patil as the latter had stated that there will be no sharing of the CM’s post.
Speaking to TNIE, Congress spokesperson Nataraj Gowda Ashoka could not stomach the Congress’ stable government and has been trying to create a rift between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. “The government is just one month old and the issue of the CM is irrelevant. Ashoka, who wanted to be Bengaluru Urban district minister in the previous BJP government, is also jealous of Shivakumar’s efforts to boost the city’s image,” he said.
When contacted over phone, Suresh declined to respond to the statements of Ashoka. “ I am still abiding by my statement that I will think about contesting the 2024 LS polls. But I will be very much in the constituency serving the people as my term is still remaining. Like me, any other leader may emerge as a candidate that the party leadership will have to find out. I do not know whether the leadership is scouting for an alternative candidate or not,” he said.
Meanwhile, when asked about his cabinet colleague and Social Welfare Minister Dr H C Mahadevappa’s statement, Siddaramaiah shot, “You should ask him only. I do not know what he has said. How should I know what he said.”
Siddu will be CM for 5 years: Satish
Davangere: PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi on Sunday said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will complete the full five-year term, and there are no questions about it. Addressing the media at Rajanahalli Valmiki Gurupeet after being felicitated, the Valmiki strongman asked the media as to who said there would be sharing of power. Responding to a question on the central government discontinuing the sale of rice to states, he said the problem will be resolved soon and people will be get 10 kg of rice as per the Congress promise. Taking a dig at the BJP, he said the saffron party, which openly opposed our programme of giving 10 kg of rice has no right to protest now. It is an issue between the Congress and the people, said Jarkiholi. ENS