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Congress Invites Shiva Raj Kumar to Contest Election, He Suggests His Wife
BengaluruKarnataka deputy chief minister and state Congress President DK Shivakumar on Sunday invited to Kannada actor Shiva Rajkumar, the son of veteran actor Dr Raj Kumar, to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on a Congress ticket from a constituency of his choice
Bengaluru
Karnataka deputy chief minister and state Congress President DK Shivakumar on Sunday invited to Kannada actor Shiva Rajkumar, the son of veteran actor Dr Raj Kumar, to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on a Congress ticket from a constituency of his choice.
The offer was made during Shivakumar’s address to an Ediga convention, organised by the State Ediga Community Association at the Palace Grounds in Bengaluru.
“I was just talking to Shiva Rajkumar to get ready to contest in the upcoming elections to the Lok Sabha. He said he has already committed to several feature films. However, films can be made later, but such opportunities to contest elections and become a member of the Lok Sabha do not come very often. He can choose any constituency he desires to contest,” Shivakumar said.
Shiva Rajkumar declined the offer, saying, “Following in the footsteps of my father, I am blessed by him with the art of entertaining people through acting in films. Beyond that, I do not wish for anything else.”
“However, my wife, Geetha, is the daughter of former Karnataka chief minister Bangarappa, and as a husband, I must support her ambitions. If Geetha is interested in contesting, I, as a husband, will always be there to support her,” he added, indicating that his wife might be a candidate in the upcoming election.
Geetha Shivarajkumar had joined the Congress before the recent assembly elections in the presence of Shivakumar. Geetha also campaigned alongside her husband Shiva Rajkumar for the Congress candidates.
During the event, chief minister Siddaramaiah addressed the pending issue of setting up the Narayana Guru Study Chair. He mentioned that the government would look into the matter as soon as the ongoing legislature session concludes. However, he said he was constrained not to make specific promises since the legislature session was going on. “But the government will take the necessary action as soon as the session is over, in consultation with the finance department,” Siddaramaiah said.
Reflecting on the significance of Narayana Guru, the social reformer and community icon, Siddaramaiah emphasised the continued relevance of the seer’s philosophy and thoughts. He urged leaders of the Ediga community to embrace Narayana Guru’s ideals and walk in his footsteps.
“He spent a lifetime for the welfare of backward communities despite the insults and impediments he had suffered during his lifetime. He fought against the oppressive caste system and built temples for them (backward communities) at a time when they were denied temple entry,” Siddaramaiah added.
The event gets political attention as the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) are unhappy over the delay in releasing the caste census in the state. The rally has also political significance as as a senior Congress leader who was denied a cabinet berth has started a statewide tour. Former AICC general secretary and current MLC BK Hariprasad is part of the rallies, holding meetings with the OBC communities in the state—a vote bank often associated with CM Siddaramaiah.
Reacting to the government holding a rally of prominent OBC community Edigas, Hariprasad expressed concern about the convention being political manoeuvring and that it doesn’t help the community. “I refuse to participate in conventions driven by political motives,” he said.
