‘Bring party to power’: Shivakumar amid CM tussle

Reacting to Karnataka Congress MLA Zameer Ahmad’s statement that Siddarmaiah should be the chief ministerial candidate for the state, KPCC president DK Shivakumar on Saturday said that every one should work to bring the party to power instead of worshipping any individual

Reacting to Karnataka Congress MLA Zameer Ahmad’s statement that Siddarmaiah should be the chief ministerial candidate for the state, KPCC president DK Shivakumar on Saturday said that every one should work to bring the party to power instead of worshipping any individual.

KPCC president DK Shivakumar on Saturday said that every one should work to bring the Congress to power instead of worshipping any individual. (Agencies)

“If you are really interested in the party, stop worshipping an individual and worship the party. Focus on getting more people to the party. Everyone should organise their communities and bring the party to power,” Shivakumar told reporters.

On Friday, Zameer picked holes in Shivakumar’s attempt to consolidate the Vokkaligas. “You can’t become the chief minister with the support of just one community,” Zameer said. “Even I want to be the CM and there are more Muslims than Vokkaligas. Can I become the CM with just the Muslim votes? No. We need all communities,” he said.

Ahmad, a Siddaramaiah loyalist, later said that the people of the state wanted Siddaramaiah to be the next chief minister. Reacting to this, Shivakumar said, “I will speak of only those who are of my level. Everyone should keep their mouth shut and work to bring the party to power.” .

Over the past few days, Shivakumar has been seeking their support of the Vokkaliga community, to which he belongs, for his chief ministerial bid. Shivakumar has said that another Vokkaliga from the Congress -- after SM Krishna -- can become the chief minister. Shivakumar’s Vokkaliga outreach is widely seen as a counter to Siddaramaiah’s August 3 birthday bash in Davangere that can possibly mobilise the Ahinda (minorities, backward classes and Dalits).

On Wednesday, Shivakumar called upon the dominant Vokkaliga community to support his chief ministerial bid. “I’m a representative of the community. Sonia Gandhi has made me the party president, a post that has come to the community after 20 years. I’ve said that (Vokkaligas) shouldn’t lose this opportunity,” Shivakumar said, referring to him becoming KPCC president after SM Krishna, also a Vokkaliga.

Though the assembly elections in the state are about 10 months away, the question of the Congress’s chief ministerial candidate has been a point of debate between the camps led by Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah.

Asked if he was issuing the direction specifically to Khan, Shivakumar, MLA from Kanakapura constituency in Ramanagara, said, “I am telling this to everyone. First, you bring the party to power, first draw people from all the communities to the party, and organise your community first. As a leader if you have concern for the party, stop worshipping individuals and bring people to the party.”

The Congress state chief, however, stressed that there is nothing wrong if 224 MLAs in Karnataka desire to become the chief minister. Responding to Shivakumar’s statement, Khan said it was the KPCC chief (Shivakumar) who started the discussion in the party by seeking support for himself in a public forum.

“Who started this argument? At an event of the Vokkaliga community, he asked people of his community to give him a chance. We started talking after his statement. Till then, no one had raised this issue,” Khan told reporters in Belagavi.

He also said Muslim leaders liked Siddaramaiah and wanted to see him as the chief minister again. However, the final decision will be taken by the party high command. “Ours is a high command-based party. No one else here can take a decision. Other than Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, no one else can decide. I gave my personal opinion. There is nothing wrong in telling my opinion,” Khan said.

Khan, MLA from Chamarajpet constituency in Bengaluru, said everyone has the desire to become chief minister but only the one who can take all the communities along can lead the state. He also said party, as well as individual worship, are both needed.

Party veteran Mallikarjun Kharge, replying to a query on the internal strife, said the decision on the issue of the next chief minister will be decided by the party high command.

“It is not me and you who decide who the next chief minister should be. It is the party high command’s prerogative. First, we have to build the party to ensure it returns to power again,” Kharge told reporters in Kalaburagi.

The Siddaramaiah camp is organising the ‘Siddaramotsava’ in Davangere on August 3 to celebrate the 75th birthday of their leader and those MLAs supporting him, including Khan and R V Deshpande, are touring various parts of the state to make the event a success.

(With inputs from PTI)