DK Shivakumar asserts loyalty to Congress, contrasts with Siddaramaiah's JDS past

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar reiterated his decades-long loyalty to the Congress, stressing that he has been with the party for 37 years and is now 63 years old and “growing old” with it.

He underlined the significance of being rooted in the organisation, subtly distinguishing himself from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who had entered the Congress after leaving the Janata Dal (Secular).

“I’ve been in the Assembly for eight consecutive terms, serving the party from the beginning. If you forget the root, you won't get the fruit,” Shivakumar said, reflecting on his political journey that began in his youth and has remained unwavering despite changes in leadership and political tides. His remarks were interpreted as a pointed contrast to Siddaramaiah, who joined the Congress in 2006 following a stint in the Janata Parivar.

Shivakumar also recalled how former Congress president Sonia Gandhi had placed her trust in him by appointing him as the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief. He said he had worked with full dedication for three years to defeat the BJP’s “double engine” government and restore Congress to power in the state.

“I gave it my heart and soul. That’s how we brought this government to power,” he said, highlighting his own central role in the party’s electoral success in Karnataka.

Amid ongoing discussions around the possibility of a mid-term leadership arrangement in the state, Shivakumar also praised Sonia Gandhi’s decision in 2004 to forgo the Prime Minister’s post, calling it an “unmatched political sacrifice.” Without naming anyone, he said, “There are some leaders who share power. There are many who don’t, even at the panchayat level.” His remarks come at a time when speculation about a rotation of the chief ministerial post in Karnataka remains unresolved.

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