Strengthen my hands, give me an opportunity to serve you: DKS calls upon people of Mandya

MYSURU

Speculation over Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D.K. Shivakumar eying the Chief Minister’s post began floating in political circles again on Friday after his call to the people in Vokkaliga-dominated Mandya to “strengthen” his hands and give him an “opportunity” to serve them.

Addressing the Praja Dhwani rally in Mandya, Mr. Shivakumar reminded the gathering that the Congress had not only supported H.D. Deve Gowda to become the Prime Minister, but also H.D. Kumaraswamy as Chief Minister of Karnataka.

“Now, I am standing before you as your son, as the son of the soil, as the son of Doddalahalli Kempe Gowda, as the Karnataka Congress president I am asking you, bowing to your feet, for strength to serve you,” Mr. Shivakumar said, while asking the people of the Vokkaliga-dominated Mandya to ensure that they vote for the Congress in all the seven Assembly constituencies in the district.

He also said he was connected to Mandya district, which was no different to him from either Kanakapura or Ramanagaram. Since the days of the former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna and the former MP G. Made Gowda, Mr. Shivakumar said he had been serving the people of Mandya.

Mr. Shivakumar said the Congress respected the decision of the voters of Mandya during the last Assembly elections when the JD(S) won all the seven seats. The party, in order to keep the “communal” BJP out of power, backed Mr. Kumaraswamy of the JD(S) as the Chief Minister of the State. “But, they were unable to retain power,” he said.

The Congress leader also said the party had taken the Mekedatu padayatra for the sake of people of Mandya, Mysuru, and Hassan.

Mr. Shivakumar also targeted the BJP for claiming credit for the expansion of the Bengaluru–Mysuru expressway when the project was conceived and started during the Congress government’s tenure. The project was planned when the late Oscar Fernandes was the Union Surface Transport Minister in the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s Cabinet. It was taken up when Siddaramaiah was the Chief Minister of Karnataka, and H.C. Mahadevappa was the Public Works Minister, he said.