BJP has lost the faith of people, says Shivakumar

Congress will gain. I’m sure about that. Vokkaliga belt is between Congress and JD(S), BJP can’t make any inroads there, the K’taka Congress president

There’s a lot at stake for the Congress’ DK Shivakumar in the Karnataka assembly elections. He is not only president of the party’s state unit, but also one of the contenders for the chief minister’s position. Balancing his personal ambition while taking rivals like Siddaramaiah along, in a state where their coalition government with the Janata Dal (Secular) fell just a year after formation in 2018, is a tough task. But, in a conversation with HT, Shivakumar insists that his party will win, and that this time there won’t be any need for allies.

Senior Congress leader DK Shivakumar (Hindustan Times)

A senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader recently told me that while things were tough for them earlier, there’s a real fight now. Has the Congress campaign stumbled?

When BJP leaders agreed that they’re in the fight now, that means they have lost the battle.

What , according to you is the biggest advantage you enjoy against them?

See our trump card is that they (the BJP) have lost the faith of the people of Karnataka. One thing is corruption. They gave us the name as the most corrupt state in this country. If you go to buy petrol, if you go to buy vegetables, every day the prices are rising high. Incomes are coming down. So how do you manage this?

And since they are not able to communicate to the people that they have not given them good governance, they are pushing a communal agenda. That won’t work.

Communal agenda like the hijab and love jihad controversies?

See if they are focussed on governance, if they are focused on good administration, on progress, all these communal issues wouldn’t have come. We look at development, which is why we have come out with five poll guarantees now -- for Kalyana Karnataka; for Kittur Karnataka; on irrigation; to every woman; and for unemployed youth. We are supporting them because of this inflation.

You don’t think you need to be a bit more aggressive taking on Hindutva?

Everyone loves their religion . But politicians or political party should not divide on caste basis. We have a Constitution; we are in a multicultural country. We live like brothers. All study together, all work together, all live together. See what they did for minorities. They removed the reservation and put it to a general category. Is it not unfair?

You’re primarily focusing on price rise, corruption. So, the Adani controversy is not that much of an issue?

People look at a lot of other things. As far as Karnataka is concerned, we are looking at local issues, local governance, local administration. There is no leader left in the BJP (here). They’ve tried everyone, tested everyone. There is why they’re trying to bring the Prime Minister Narendra Modi here. They removed BS Yediyurappa. First, they said that they will run the election with (Basavaraj) Bommai as the face, now they are saying Modiji. Modiji can’t run the government here. It is local. We are looking at Kannadiga pride.

So Adani is not an issue?.

No. That is not an issue here.

Still, you have to acknowledge that Modi’s popularity transcends states

See, why they couldn’t do anything in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana. Karnataka, of course, they had a government. Why don’t they rely on their chief minister? When the government was running, they changed the chief minister. They could not expand their ministers’ (council), expand the ministry. Why? Lot of infighting and corruption. We have decided to give a new transparent government. We will be a government which will give a law in transparency against corruption.

Changing the CM has been effective for the BJP in Uttarakhand,Tripura,Gujarat. Why shouldn’t it work here?

Here it has failed. They’ve admitted that they have lost the election. It does not work here because already you see the statement of the honourable Union home minister. First he said Mr Bommai will lead. Then he said PM is the face. This is the big difference.

But they might say even in your party, there’s that problem of leadership.

Congress always has same policy — when there is a chief minister, we go by his leadership. When there is no chief minister, we go by collective leadership. That is the Congress strategy. Rahul Gandhi made it very clear. We will go with the collective leadership of Mr DK Shivakumar and Mr Siddaramaiah. So, both of us are working under the national leadership.

And after the results, if you win?

Party, will take a call on it as it is a political process.

Which sections of society is the Congress targeting?

We believe in all sections. We want every section to be protected. We don’t want to discriminate against anyone. For example, some people believe that Brahmins don’t vote for us but we gave six tickets to Brahmins (in 2018) and won four. We believe every section is a voter class. Don’t underestimate them. All are important, all the communities.

But Lingayats traditionally have not gone with you

Earlier traditionally, yes. Now they have shifted. They feel that Congress is better and can give a better government.

Just because of BS Yediyurappa being removed?

That is also a big issue in the political space, no opportunity was given. He couldn’t join the government, he couldn’t become an MLC, he was not allowed to contest an election. Internally there are lot of problems, you know about it.

My relationship with Lingayat community is different. Whether it is backward or scheduled or Basavanna (Lingayat reformer). Congress’ constitution is also attached to Basavanna’s philosophy. Rahul Gandhi also went to so many mutts. He took deeksha of Lingayat leaders.

One of the key factors in this election seems to be whether the JD(S) vote falls or not

I won’t say they have collapsed. They are a political party, where number and percentage will vary. What numbers they want, they may not get. They got their numbers last time (37 out of 224) and we gave them support. According to me, this time I don’t think they’ll have the number that they had. They may have a number but not a big number

And who will gain from that?

Congress will gain. I’m sure about that. Vokkaliga belt is between Congress and JD(S), BJP can’t make any inroads there.

Do you think the door completely closed for a post-poll alliance with JD(S)?

I don’t think that situation will arise. The people of Karnataka are mature. They want a mandate for change. We are very confident we will have an absolute majority which will touch 141 seats. People have already seen that the experiment of coalition has failed.

Since 2019 elections, a big issue has been corruption. The BJP keeps saying look at the Congress, they’re all corrupt. They’re saying Rahul Gandhi is now convicted. DK Shivkumar is involved in a case investigated by the Enforcement Directorate.

When I came out of jail, you see masses of people came out in a rally. Thousands of people waited like six hours to reach the Congress office. That is the love. They know that whatever this is,it is a political action. They are using all these agencies.

Why aren’t we seeing these crowds of support, in protest against Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification?

It has happened. A lot of protests have happened.

Are there no internal problems in your party?

My party, we are all united. Ultimately what has happened (in the past) has happened. Now the party is united.

You admit that you want to be CM?

Everyone should have some ambition. My ambition is first, bringing the Congress to power. Rest we leave to the party head.

Under my leadership, I was given this opportunity and the party was in crisis. We have built it in a very positive way. Let us focus on Karnataka. For a change in this country, (winning) Karnataka is a must.