Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar seeks leave for natives of Bihar to cast vote

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Sunday said he would appeal to organisations, including Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI) and industry associations, to grant a three or four-day leave to workers from Bihar residing in Karnataka so that they can travel home and cast their votes in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.

He was speaking at a meeting with members of the Karnataka Bihar Samaj in Byatarayanapura. 

Mr. Shivakumar thanked the Bihari community for their contribution to the State’s growth and said, “Your community has been part of Karnataka’s labour and workforce. Without Bihari workers, who form a majority of the labour force, Bengaluru would not have developed like this.” 

Community Hall to be set up for Biharis

Mr. Shivakumar also said that he would speak to the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) Commissioner regarding setting up a community hall for the Bihar community in Bengaluru. “You all (community members) never came to meet me earlier. Now I got to know that your community does not have an office or a meeting place. I will speak to the BDA Commissioner to provide a place for your community,” he added. 

Tejashwi Yadav as CM, Rahul Gandhi as PM

Mr. Shivakumar requested the community to vote for the Mahagathbandhan (INDIA alliance) and support RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav as Bihar Chief Minister.

“We want Mr. Yadav to be the Chief Minister and Rahul Gandhi to be the Prime Minister. That is our goal,” he said. “Mr. Yadav also spoke to me. He said at any cost, we must make Mr. Gandhi the Prime Minister. We want a change in Bihar. Even the guarantees implemented in Karnataka are now being followed there, it’s a Congress guarantee.” 

He added that the Nitish Kumar era is ‘coming to an end’, claiming that the BJP was trying to drive from the backseat through him. “Today, Bihar is not with Nitish Kumar; it’s his last chapter. The BJP knows they cannot make him the leader again,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.

When some people at the meeting said they wanted to see him as the next Chief Minister of Karnataka, Mr. Shivakumar brushed aside the remarks, “That is not important for me. Mr. Gandhi becoming the Prime Minister and Mr. Yadav becoming the Chief Minister is what matters to me.”