Shivakumar does U-turn on Channapatna?

Bengaluru, NT Bureau: Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday cast doubts on whether he will be contesting in the by-poll for the Channapatna Assembly seat.

Some saw it as him ruling out contesting from the seat. On being asked on who would contest from his Kanakapura Assembly seat if he wins from Channapatna, he ruled out there being a by-poll for the former, indirectly saying he wouldn’t contest from the latter seat.

“Why will there be a byeelection in Kanakapura? I am the MLA from Kanakapura and the state president of my party. I have a responsibility. That is my region and I am a leader there,” Shivakumar told mediapersons.

“I and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will lead the elections (in Channapatna),” he added.

Shivakumar tried to play down his earlier comments, adding that he had only asked people there to support him.

“I am from that district (Ramanagara). I have asked the voters there to give us strength,” he said. Two days ago, Shivakumar had said that if people and Congress workers asked him, he would have no choice but to contest from Channapatna.

“A significant change in my political career happened from Channapatna. I have come to Anjaneya temple in Kengal to start a new chapter in my political career,” he said.

This led to speculations that he would contest from Channapatna, which was vacated by JD(S) state president HD Kumaraswamy after he won the Mandya Lok Sabha election.

BJP MLA and former minister S Suresh Kumar called the purported ‘bypoll in Kanakapura’ a ‘Tughlaq like decision’ and a waste of public money.

Earlier, BJP state President B Y Vijayendra said it was left to the Congress to decide who should contest from Channapatna.

Speaking to mediapersons in New Delhi, Kumaraswamy said Shivakumar was showing affection for Channapatna now but had not visited the place in the past one-and-a-half years.

Commenting on those who criticised him, Shivakumar said: “Those who are writing the obituary of my political career should know that there is a bigger power behind me, which is people's power.”