Yogeshwar’s resignation adds pressure on Congress, JD(S)

Bengaluru: CP Yogeshwar's resignation from the Upper House Monday has intensified the political battle in Channapatna, putting pressure on Congress to either lure him into its fold or support his potential independent candidature.
While Congress strategises, JD(S) state president HD Kumaraswamy remained tight-lipped on whether he will field his son Nikhil or wife Anitha for the seat or choose a local party functionary.This uncertainty has delayed the announcement of a candidate by both Congress and JD(S), with decisions expected to come down to the wire. Nominations close on Thursday.
Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, who is treating the contest as a personal mission, is considering fielding his brother DK Suresh to revive the former MP's political career. Suresh lost to Kumaraswamy's brother-in-law, Dr CN Manjunath, in the Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha seat earlier this year. The Channapatna assembly constituency falls under the same Lok Sabha segment.
The DK brothers – Shivakumar and Suresh – are now eager to avenge that defeat and reclaim lost ground in the Vokkaliga-dominated region. Suresh's loss by over two lakh votes to the BJP-JD(S) joint candidate in May was a major setback. "We are still recovering from the shock of the Lok Sabha election loss. Suresh worked hard, but we lost badly," Shivakumar said, reflecting on the defeat. "Had we lost by a smaller margin, we could have improved our performance," he added.
Despite this, there is significant pressure on Shivakumar, also Congress state president, to consider Yogeshwar, who has a strong base in Channapatna and has seen electoral success several times in the past. "About 80% of party workers want my brother Suresh to contest," Shivakumar said. But the constituency's dynamics have complicated the decision-making process.
Shivakumar warned against underestimating JD(S), saying, "If we start to think that JD(S) is weak, then we will be the biggest fools." He acknowledged that the decision on the Congress candidate had been made after gathering opinions from ministers and election in-charges. "We will soon submit the proposal to Delhi, and they will make the final decision," he added.
Responding to allegations from Kumaraswamy, now a Union minister, that Congress was in talks with Yogeshwar, Shivakumar dismissed the claims as speculation, saying "I have not met or spoken to Yogeshwar. There has been no meeting or discussion between us."
Meanwhile, Kumaraswamy, who held Channapatna seat for two terms, is unwilling to relinquish the seat to Yogeshwar or BJP. The bypoll, alongside elections in Sandur and Shiggaon, was triggered by Kumaraswamy's election to the Lok Sabha. The fight for Channapatna is shaping up to be a key political contest.