DK Shivakumar Congress’ last “resort”

The lone wolf who kept Congress together in times of desperation- DK Shivakumar.

Right before the floor test in the Karnataka Assembly session today, a very emotional BS Yeddyurappa resigned before the House. The charade that followed four days after the results finally ended with no Congress-JD(S) MLAs defecting to BJP. The Congress-JD(S) alliance took was all smiles as they moved towards victory in Karnataka. What caught everyone’s eyes during the chaos in the Assembly was a very elated Congress senior leader DK Shivkumar shake hands with its alliance’s Chief Ministerial face, HD Kumaraswamy that as soon as Yeddyurappa announced his resignation. The fact that this post-poll alliance withstood the storm that was mounting because of the pressure of Centre and State leadership was evident on the faces of the Congress camp. In this cut-throat competition in Karnataka, DK Shivkumar clearly emerged as ‘the man of the match’.

The man who held the guard for Congress

Shivakumar is liked and hated in equivalent measures across all party lines. He is a charismatic personality but his supporters love and admire him because they claim he stands by them during a crisis.

During the Karnataka elections, the then Energy Minister and Vokkaliga leader, Shivakumar was a favourite even though the chief minister personally wanted to favour a Lingayat, SR Patil, to dull out BJP. Shivakumar has proved to be a crucial member of the Congress state unit since the campaigning for Karnataka began. He was seen as one of the prominent personalities who were present throughout during campaigning. Post result, too, he stood firm and made the first move in order to ensure the two independent seat holders side with Congress defying the political prime power in the country.

Even when the speculations of horse trading swept in, and it was reported that two MLAs of Congress-JD(S) alliance (Pratap Gouda Patil and Anand Singh) were ‘missing’, Shivkumar ensured he was in constant touch with the MLAs to make sure they don’t defect to BJP. Even today, he was seen constantly making follow-ups with the MLAs to ensure they are present in the Vidhan Soudha to cast their vote during the floor test.

Shivakumar, in Karnataka politics is an all-weather man for the Congress. The 57-year-old reached the top of state politics by fighting the Gowda family in their clamp. His prolonged fight with the Gowdas is legendary.

Early years

• Start of his political career

In 1985, Shivkumar first contested against former prime minister HD Deve Gowda from the then Sathanur Assembly segment as a Congress candidate. Though Gowda won, he “abandoned” Sathanur as he got elected from Holenarsipur Assembly as well. Shivakumar won his first Assembly election in 1989 from Sathanur in Kanakapura by defeating H D Deve Gowda. When S Bangarappa became the CM in 1990, he recognised Shivakumar’s talent and made him a junior minister with Prisons and Homeguards portfolio. Even though the portfolio was insignificant, Shivakumar caught the attention of the leaders because of his leadership skills and daringness. He was just 29 years old.

When Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal came to power in 1994, Shivakumar was one of the very few who survived the storm. He fought a battle with the Gowdas even when Deve Gowda was the PM.

His tenure as the KPCC working president wasn’t impressive and he was even kept out of the Siddharmaiah-led government because of the corruption charges he faced. However, he did not quit the party or said anything against the high command. He was made the Power Minister in January 2014.

• A pillar to fall back on for all big leaders; a three-part act

Time and again DK Shivkumar has proved his mettle and loyalty towards the party. In 2002, the Congress-led Vilasrao Deshmukh government in Maharashtra was about to collapse. Fearing a defeat he moved his MLAs to neighbouring Karnataka, ruled by SM Krishna.

Krishna entrusted the responsibility of keeping them safe to his young Urban Development Minister DK Shivakumar. He herded them to Eagleton Resort on the outskirts of Bengaluru and hosted them for a week. On the day of trust vote, he escorted them back to Mumbai and the Vilasrao government survived. Shivakumar hit the national headlines and the incident also helped him strengthen his relationship with the Gandhi family.

Similarly, Karnataka Energy minister DK Shivakumar is being patted on the back for Ahmed Patel’s re-election to Rajya Sabha.

Last year, Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi and her political Secretary Ahmed Patel congratulated Shivakumar and called him the “architect” of Patel’s victory.

Shivakumar, who last year, had sheltered 44 Gujarat Congress MLAs in a resort to foil BJP’s alleged attempts to win them over ahead of Rajya Sabha elections, was hailed as the hero of that political drama, which ended with Patel’s victory

• Congress’s richest encounters controversy

Though Shivkumar’s loyalty towards Congress is unquestionable, he doesn’t enjoy the cleanest of images. Shivakumar and his family have been linked to several cases of illegal mining and transporting granite illegally, and unfitting land distribution.

In 2015, the High Court of Karnataka issued notices to Shivakumar and his family members after a PIL was filed alleging their role in illegal mining activities in Kanakapura and Ramanagaram towns.

In the same year, land activists accused Shivakumar and his brother DK Suresh of grabbing 66 acres of land meant to be for the Dalits and the poor, in the alleged Shanthinagar housing society scam. However, Shivakumar later was given a clean chit.

Last year, During the sojourn of Congress MLAs in Bengaluru, Shivakumar’s residence was raided by Income Tax officials, and he was questioned repeatedly by I-T officials.

• Congress’s all-weather man

Shivkumar doesn’t hide his ambition to be the Chief Minister of Karnataka before he retires from politics. Speaking to a reporter, he had said that he had won seven Assembly elections in a row and had done a lot for the party which makes him eligible for the post.

The role DK Shivkumar has played for Congress over the years has proven his loyalty towards the Gandhis and Congress. His continuous presence during Congress’s tough situations has garnered him a lot of respect from his party members.

Political experts say Shivkumar’s opponents fear him because he is vindictive. So much so that the media now compares him to the likes of BJP president, Amit Shah.

DK Shivkumar’s rise in the past few years points towards his importance for the struggling Congress in 2019.