karnataka congress Archives - Lokmarg

Shivakumar Breaks Down, Thanks Sonia

By LokMarg 13th May 2023

An emotional Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar broke down on Saturday as his party looked poised towards forming the next government in the State. He also recalled his stint in jail in 2019.

Shivakumar thanked the party cadre and workers for the results.
“I can’t forget Sonia Gandhi visiting me in jail…when BJP people put me in jail,” Shivakumar who was almost choking with emotion said.

Speaking to reporters, the Karnataka Congress Pradesh Committee (KPCC) chief said, “I credit my cadre and all my party leaders, they worked hard. People have lent faith in us, they supported us. It is a collective leadership and we jointly worked. I said in the beginning, joining the party is beginning…the day I took the oath, thinking together is progress, and working together is success”.

Shivakumar recalled his time in jail in the year 2019 for over 50 days in ED custody in connection with an alleged money laundering case.

“I had promised Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge that I will deliver the state to their fold. When these BJP people put me in jail, I remember Sonia Gandhi came to meet me there. Such is the faith the party, the Gandhi family and the whole country bestowed on me,” he said.

Shivakumar said that he will again address the media and party workers after some time.

“I thank all the MLAs in the state, including Siddaramaiah. Every leader who worked from block to the booth level, including my AICC leaders and general secretaries. I have a lot of things to tell, but I will come later and meet you all at Bharat Jodo Bhavan,” the senior Congress leader said.

Meanwhile, the Congress party has consolidated its lead in the counting for the assembly elections with victory on two seats and leading on 128 others, as per the Election Commission of India.

Shivakumar was also leading on the Kanakpura constituency with a massive margin of over 64000 votes.

The counting of votes began at 8 am amid tight security across the State.

The exit polls predicted a hung assembly with some showing Congress returning to power with a majority. A few exit polls also showed BJP ahead.

The fiercely contested election that saw high-pitch campaigns from the political parties.

The polling for the seats were held on May 10 with a voting percentage of 72. 68 per cent in voting for 224 seats. A party needs 113 seats to get majority. (ANI)

Savarkar’s Portrait In K’taka Assembly: Cong Alleges Decision Not Discussed

By LokMarg 19th December 2022

Karnataka Congress on Monday staged a protest outside the state Assembly after chief minister Basavraj Bommai unveiled a portrait of V D Savarkar inside the Karnataka Assembly Hall.

The protest on the first day of the winter session of the state assembly was led by Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah and the state unit chief D K Shivkumar.
“They want that our Assembly proceedings should not take place. They want it disrupted. They have brought this photo because we are going to raise a lot of corruption issues against them. They don’t have any development agenda,” Karnataka Congress chief and MLA Shivakumar said.

Addressing a press conference Siddaramaiah condemned the decision to install Savarkar’s portrait.” It is not a protest. It is demand. I am making it clear to install portraits of other national leaders and social reform leaders”.

Siddaramaiah said this was a tactic to divert the attention of people, “In order to divert the attention of people, they are doing this. We will not continue with the protest. It is a symbolic demand made by the Congress Legislature party. The Speaker should have taken the confidence of the house. That has not been done. It has not been discussed in the business advisory committee also”.

“Keeping all of us in the dark, unilaterally the Speaker has taken a decision to put up Savarkar’s photograph and other leaders. Who are the other leaders? We do not know. We are ignorant of these things,” he added.

Siddaramaiah said as a leader of the opposition he should have been informed about the portrait issue.

“See, I am an opposition leader. As a leader of the opposition, I should have been invited. that is why we demand you put portraits of all national leaders and Socialist Republics leaders. We are not opposing portraits of any leader. They inspire us. They put a portrait of Savarkar to divert the attention of people from many issues like corruption, water theft, and farmers’ issues”.(ANI)

Cong Is United, There Is No Rift: KPCC Chief

By LokMarg 23rd November 2022

Following allegations about a rift erupting in Karnataka Congress over ticket distribution, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President DK Shivakumar on Wednesday clarified that the entire Congress is united and they are one.

“We don’t have any rift. The entire Congress is united. We are one, and we will win the election,” said Shivakumar while commenting on reports of a rift in the party over ticket distribution.
Shivakumar was speaking to ANI and said that he is confident that the people will vote in favour of the Congress party.

“People of Karnataka want to throw out BJP government. It is the most corrupt government in this country. People will come to realize and witness this,” he said.

There were reports about Congress party leaders fighting over ticket distribution for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly election.

The next Karnataka Legislative Assembly election is scheduled to be held in or before May 2023 to elect all 224 members of the state’s Legislative Assembly.

Shivakumar had earlier reached the state election commission office after Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala had launched an attack against Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai alleging that he was directly involved in electoral fraud that has come to light in Bengaluru.

Surjewala had demanded a high-level probe in the matter and claimed a private agency named “Chilume” was authorised by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) – the urban local body of Bengaluru, to carry out a door-to-door survey of voters in the city. (ANI)