DK Shivakumar’s elevation ignites hopes of Congress’ revival in North Karnataka

HUBBALLI: The Congress high command’s decision to appoint the party’s trusted troubleshooter and former minister DK Shivakumar as the president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has ignited hope among the party’s functionaries and workers in North Karnataka of ending the BJP’s dominance in the region.
For some time now, Congress has been struggling to make a dent in the BJP’s prospects in North Karnataka, a failure that party insiders attribute to the lack of a strong local leader, coupled with the absence of a popular member who can appeal to the masses.
It is not that there are no Congress members in the region – HK Patil, SR Patil, MB Patil, IG Sanadi, Vinay Kulkarni and KB Koliwad, to name but a few – but in most cases, their popularity is confined to their respective districts, and none of them has a footprint across the vast North Karnataka. This glaring lack has had a telling impact on the Congress’ fortunes at the hustings, where it has been faring poorly in both the assembly and parliamentary elections.
The elation that has greeted Shivakumar’s elevation in North Karnataka is not without cause. The former minister’s organisational strengths have earned him a grudging respect even among his opponents, and despite hailing from the Old Mysore region, Shivakumar has proven his mettle in North Karnataka, where he remains a popular leader. He spearheaded the campaign for VS Ugrappa in the 2018 by-election to the Ballari Lok Sabha seat, wherein the senior Congress member was pitted against B Sreeramulu’s sister J Shantha. Ugrappa posted a thumping victory, besting the BJP candidate by a margin of over two lakh votes. “Later, when MLA CS Shivalli’s death necessitated a byelection in Kundagol, Shivakumar pitched tent in the constituency for more than two weeks and ensured a decisive won for the Congress,” said a senior Congress functionary.
But it is not going to be a daunting task for Shivakumar to assert his strength in a region where the Lingayats constitute the majority. As a Vokkaliga strongman, Shivakumar, in addition to bringing the other senior members in the region including MB Patil, who was a strong contender for the KPCC top post, on the same page, will have to win over the Lingayats, who have traditionally been staunch supporters of the BJP in the recent past.
The political landscape in Belagavi is another landmine, where Shivakumar will have to tread very carefully. With Ramesh Jarkiholi crossing over to the BJP, the Congress’ position in the border district has further weakened, and the new KPCC chief will have to come up with a carefully thought-out strategy to ensure the party regains its dominance in Belagavi.
Youth Congress leader Shakeer Sanadi admitted to party workers feeling upbeat over Shivakumnar’s elevation. “Given his popularity as a trouble shooter, and reputation as strategist, we hope that, through his dynamic leadership, Shivakumar will bring all the leaders together and come up with a strategy to defeat the BJP in the next election,” he said.