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Karnataka Congress president and deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar has suffered a significant setback in the Lok Sabha elections, undermining his political ambitions on several fronts.
Shivakumar’s efforts to establish himself as a dominant Vokkaliga leader in the Old Mysuru region have been severely hampered by the election outcome.
This area, traditionally a stronghold of Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) chief HD Kumaraswamy, has not yielded to Shivakumar’s influence.
Adding to Shivakumar’s woes, his brother DK Suresh, a three-time MP, suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of BJP candidate Dr CN Manjunath, who is also the son-in-law of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda.
Several factors contributed to DK Suresh’s loss, including the effective transfer of votes between JD-S and BJP, anti-incumbency sentiments against Suresh, and Dr Manjunath’s popularity as a cardiologist who made heart treatment affordable in the state.
Among these, the seamless vote transfer between JD-S and BJP is seen as pivotal.
This loss not only diminishes Shivakumar’s political clout but also serves as a personal setback.
Political analysts have observed that the election turned into a fierce contest for control over the Vokkaliga bastions between Shivakumar and the family of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda.
The results clearly indicate that the Vokkaliga community did not rally behind Shivakumar as anticipated.
Instead, their support gravitated towards the BJP and JD-S, maintaining the political status quo.
Source: Karnataka: Setback for DK Shivakumar as Congress loses in Vokkaliga heartland