Page 5 - The Indian EYE 052623

BIG STORY MAY 26, 2023 | The Indian Eye 5

insults. Instead, I took it as a chal- partment conducted raids on Shiva-
lenge and later presented thirteen kumar in August 2017.
budgets which were hailed by em- After his return from Jail, So-
inent economists,” he said. After nia Gandhi appointed him as KPCC
Deve Gowda became the Prime President on March 11, 2020. He
Minister in 1996, Siddaramaiah was led the party to an emphatic victory
elevated as Deputy Chief Minister in in the recently concluded Assembly
JH Patel cabinet. polls, ending the BJP rule in the only
Joining Congress in 2006 be- southern state it ruled.
came a turning point in his politi- But as the new government takes
cal career. Siddaramaiah won from charge in Karnataka, Congress MLA
Chamundeshwari in a bypoll. When MB Patil, who was reportedly upset
assembly constituencies were reorga- over the denial of the deputy chief
nized in 2008, he entered the assem- ministerial post, on Friday said that
bly from Varuna and was appointed Hoardings of Siddaramaiah are put up on the eve of his oath-taking ceremony, at Sri Kanteera- all communities including Lingayat
leader of the opposition. and Dalit need “due share” of pow-
Siddaramaiah travelled through va Outdoor Stadium in Bengaluru on Friday (ANI) ers in the new state government.
Karnataka in the 2013 assembly elec- Amid the rapid political de-
tions in which Congress won an abso- Shivakumar played an important tion for his hard work (1999-2002). velopments, reports emerged that
lute majority. After becoming Chief role in 1991, in bringing Sarekoppa In 2002, Shivakumar served as MB Patil, a Lingayat leader, and G
Minister, Siddaramaiah worked to Bangarappa Government to power Minister of Urban Development and Parameshwara, a Dalit leader, were
fulfil the promises made by the party and was appointed Minister for Pris- the Chairman of the State Planning upset over the denial of deputy chief
to the people. He announced several ons, who was then the youngest Min- Board. As the Chairman of the Cabi- minister posts. Speaking about the
welfare programmes for the poor in- ister in his Cabinet. net Sub-committee, he led the “Rajiv Dalit community’s demand for a
cluding Anna Bhagya. In 1999, when SM Krishna was Yuva Shakti” organizations to orga- Deputy CM post for G Paramesh-
Siddaramaiah was the Leader of elected President of the Karnataka nize the youth and settle them in life wara, Patil said, “Whoever voted - the
Opposition in the outgoing assem- Congress, Shivakumar supported in the State. He was instrumental in Lingayats, the Dalits, the Vokkaligas,
bly. Congress won 135 seats in the him. The Congress Party won a re- starting Stree Shakthi the first wom- the STs, Muslims - all these people
224-member Karnataka assembly sounding victory in the elections to en’s empowerment organization in have to be given their due share. I am
pushing BJP to 66 seats in the results the Karnataka Legislative Assembly the world. confident our party will do the same.
declared on May 13. and Shivakumar was instrumental in When the Congress-JDS Coa- They will give due respect to all these
Siddaramaiah’s test will be to bringing the party to victory and in lition Government was formed for communities and the power will be
quickly deliver on manifesto promis- forming the Government. the first time in 2004, SM Krishna shared with all communities.”
es to help his party carry the momen- When Krishna started the elec- was sidelined as per the dictate of On being asked about the Lin-
tum of its election victory in the 2024 tion campaign by blowing Pancha- the alliance partner, Dharam Singh gayat community’s demand for a
Lok Sabha polls. janya, Shivakumar had organized a was made Chief Minister. In 2013, Deputy CM post for him, Patil said
On the other hand, DK Shivaku- historic Yatra, which brought Con- when the Congress party returned to that he is confident that Congress
mar has risen from being a member gress Party to power with 139 seats power and Siddaramaiah was elected will give due share to the community.
of the National Students Union of and helped to form Government Chief Minister, Shivakumar was in- “...Lingayats contesting on BJP tick-
India, the student wing of the Con- on its own strength. Shivakumar ducted into the Siddaramaiah Gov- ets have been rejected. So, naturally,
gress to becoming the party’s Kar- was able to win again for the third ernment as Minister for Energy after when we have come towards Con-
nataka president and now a deputy time in a row. Krishna appointed seven months. gress, the expectations are high. They
chief minister. him as a cabinet minister by allo- Shivakumar was arrested by the want a due share. I am confident that
Believed to be a mass leader, Shi- cating the portfolio to Cooperation. ED in September 2019 in an alleged our party will take care of it,” he said.
vakumar started his political journey Shivakumar was given recogni- money laundering case. The I-T de- “...Why not? I would have been
at the young age of 18 when he joined much happier if I got 50 seats,” said
NSUI, the student wing of Congress, Patil when asked about the “tussle”
and became its President for the arising out of Lingayat and Dalit
Bangalore district unit at an early age communities’ demand for Deputy
(1981-83). While studying at Ram CM posts for G Parameshwara and
Narayan Chellaram College in Ban- him amid the thumping victory of the
galore, DK Shivakumar joined the party in Karnataka elections.
Youth Congress and was elected its Karnataka Congress MLA and
General Secretary for its State Unit. former State Minister, TB Jayachan-
His political career had a tough dra, reacting to reports of MB Patil
start in 1985 when he was fielded and G Parameshwara being upset
against Janata Dal’s most influential over being denied Deputy CM posts,
leader HD Deve Gowda at Satanur said, “No, it is a decision of the high
Legislative Assembly Constituency. command to make DK Shivakumar
In 1987, the Congress leader the only Deputy Chief Minister. So,
was elected member of the Ben- I don’t think other things will rise.”
galuru Rural Zilla Panchayat from As they charge of the important
Satanur Constituency. In 1989, he southern state, both Siddaramaiah
contested from the Satanur Leg- and Shivakumar has their task cut
islative Assembly Constituency out. They need to deliver on their
representing Indian National Con- Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar with Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi promises and also keep the Congress
gress Party. Shivakumar won the Vadra in New Delhi on Friday (ANI) flock together. That will be their test
seat with a thumping majority. till the 2024 general elections.

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