After a setback in the Lok Sabha elections, specifically in the Bengaluru Rural constituency, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who also heads the State Congress unit, on Wednesday embarked on a temple run in the Channapatna Assembly constituency, which will soon go for byelection as the seat has been vacated by Union Minister for Heavy Industries H.D. Kumaraswamy.
Before commencing the temple run, in a surprise statement, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president said that he “may be left with no other choice but to contest from Channapatna in the byelection if the party and people wanted”.
The Deputy Chief Minister said, “Channapatna is in my heart. It was part of the erstwhile Sathanur Assembly constituency which I represented. My political career started from there. The people of Channapatna have been with me in tough times and I have a debt to repay.”
“I am visiting the temples of the constituency and discussing with the local leaders and voters, and will take a decision on contesting later,” he said.
Gauging the mood
Mr. Shivakumar spent almost a day in the constituency, visited more than a dozen temples and offered prayers. A party functionary said Mr. Shivakumar is gauging the pulse of voters and local leaders of the constituency in case the party fields his brother D.K. Suresh, who lost against BJP’s C.N. Manjunath, cardiologist, in Bengaluru Rural parliamentary seat. However, the KPCC chief said, “The decision on Mr. Suresh contesting from Channapatna has not been finalised.”
Even though the Election Commission of India has not announced the calendar of events for the byelection, Mr. Shivakumar began his constituency tour, which is largely seen as the beginning of the election campaign in an attempt to wrest the Channapatna seat held by the Janata Dal (Secular).
Vokkaliga leadership
Mr. Shivakumar, who is keen to emerge as a Vokkaliga leader in the Old Mysore region and nursing the ambition of occupying the Chief Minister’s post, chaired a key meeting with community leaders last week amid concerns that the community votes moved towards the BJP-JD(S) alliance in the parliamentary elections.
The Deputy Chief Minister also seems to be keen on settling political scores for the defeat of his brother in the Lok Sabha election by ensuring victory of the party candidate in the byelection. Traditionally, the Congress and JD(S) are political rivals in this region.
The BJP-JD(S) alliance has worked in the parliamentary elections, especially in the Old Mysore region, and the two parties won 19 seats in the State. Both the Congress and the BJP-JD(S) alliance have not yet officially announced their candidates for Channapatna.
Who between JD(S) and BJP?
It would be interesting to see whether the BJP would field C.P. Yogeshwar, who lost against Mr. Kumaraswamy in the 2023 election or give the seat to the JD(S). There is speculation that Mr. Kumaraswamy’s son, Nikhil Kumaraswamy, may be pitched as the candidate. Mr. Nikhil lost the 2023 Assembly election from the neighbouring Ramanagara constituency.
Many tight contests
The Channapatna Assembly constituency, which is known for its wooden toys and sericulture, has seen tight contests in the past. Actor-turned-politician C.P. Yogeshwar has been elected five times from the segment since 1999, as an Independent and also as Congress, BJP, and Samajwadi Party candidate.
In a close-cornered contest between two Vokkaliga leaders, the former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy defeated the former Minister Mr. Yogeshwar of the BJP in the 2023 elections by a margin of about 15,000 votes. In the 18 Assembly elections held in the constituency since 1951, the Congress and the Janata Party/JD(S) have won five times each.
