Kumaraswamy plays down CBI raids & there lies a political message

BENGALURU: JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy on Monday dismissed suggestions of a link between the CBI raids on Karnataka Pradesh Congress president DK Shivakumar and the November 3 bypolls to two Assembly constituencies.
"There is no relation between bypolls and these raids. When a people's representative is fair and has not committed any illegal acts, no agency including the CBI can harm him," the former chief minister told the media at Sira in Tumakuru, making it clear to voters where he and his party stood on the subject.

Both Sira and RR Nagar in Benglauru are facing a byelection.

The 60-year old leader’s comments show his attempts to distance himself from Shivakumar. He is probably aware any sympathetic comments from him would only benefit the Congress in the bypolls, and harm his own party’s prospects.

Ever since Shivakumar took over the reins of the Congress in Karnataka in July, the former chief minister has stepped up his attacks on his former ally. Both had, until a year ago built up a public image of being great friends, and of burying their past feud.

His comments on the day of the CBI raids are one more attempt to cement the impression that they are no more friends, instead bitter foes.

There is in fact a back-story to this. Since its founding in the late 1990s, the JD(S) has built its identity around Vokkaligas, the second largest community in Karnataka after Lingayats. It is well known that community members see HD Deve Gowda as their tallest leader, but Shivakumar is clearly working to claim that mantle.

Known for his trouble shooting skills and election management, Shivakumar has won the assembly polls non-stop since 1989, and he will be the front-runner for the chief minister’s post if he were to lead the Congress to victory in the next Assembly elections.

Kumaraswamy, an obvious claimant to his father’s legacy, does not want Shivakumar to weaken the JD(S)in his political march.

Both Kumaraswamy and Shivakumar enjoy followers in Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Tumakuru, Mandya, Mysuru, Hassan and Chamarajanagar districts. These regions have significant Vokkaliga voters.

In fact, when the Enforcement Directorate arrested Shivakumar last year, Vokkaligas erupted in anger in the Bengaluru-Mysuru belt. Kumaraswamy sees a clear threat of sections of Vokkaliga voters backing Shivakumar in order to see him become chief minister.

The father-son duo has always positioned the JD(S) as equal partners in any bargain for power with the BJP and Congress in the past. Shivakumar’s rise to chief minister’s post would exact a huge cost from the JD(S).