New Delhi: D.Ok. Shivakumar just isn’t the most effective orator, or probably the most charismatic, however the Congress and most political observers have attributed the celebration’s victory in Karnataka to his astute organisational abilities.
This meeting election has additionally seen his rise as a Vokkaliga chief able to weaning a big chunk of the group away from the hitherto unquestioned Vokkaliga patron H.D. Deve Gowda, the previous prime minister and Janata Dal (Secular) president. On this election, the Congress gained 44 of the 73 seats in 11 districts of southern Karnataka often called ‘Gowda land’. The JD(S) might win solely 15 seats within the area, indicating that Shivakumar because the Congress’s face might have swung the group in the direction of the Congress.
In 2019, when Shivakumar was in jail in a cash laundering case, Sonia Gandhi had gone to fulfill him. After the Congress’s unbelievable victory with 135 seats (1 main) Saturday, he stated it was throughout that go to that he was informed he’d be main the celebration into this election.
“I can always remember Smt. Sonia Gandhi coming to fulfill me when these BJP folks put me in jail. I selected to be in jail fairly than occupy an workplace. That’s the confidence that the Gandhi household, the Congress celebration, and your complete nation bestowed on me,” the state Congress chief stated.
Since being appointed Karnataka Congress president in March 2020, Shivakumar stored up the strain on the outgoing BJP authorities, be it throughout Covid, or on problems with worth rise and corruption.
“He feels that it will be significant that the state by no means feels that there isn’t a opposition. He all the time says that sustained opposition is the important thing to profitable a state,” stated a member of Shivakumar’s workforce, who wished to not be named. “He isn’t somebody who must be given accountability. He takes initiative himself and ensures that it’s executed in the very best method.”
Shivakumar began as a muscle man in Karnataka’s native politics, as a protégé of gangster Kotwal Ramachandra from his pupil politics days. When he speaks about that point, he usually reminds journalists and others that he met them whereas “serving chai” at Ramachandra’s residence. Later, former Karnataka CM and Congress stalwart S.M. Krishna grew to become his political mentor. But it surely was solely lately that Shivakumar’s transformation to an organisation man came about.
“He has moved from brawn to brains,” stated a Karnataka Congress chief, laughing.
“He’s a grassroots fellow, very grounded and intimately is aware of the native degree employee. He additionally has deep private join with leaders of different events. He’s steadfast and has not as soon as regarded away from the Congress despite all of the authorized pressures being placed on him by the BJP,” the chief added.
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‘Mass outreach, seen management, enthusiastic cadre’
Shivakumar’s strategy for the celebration was based mostly on three broad pillars — mass outreach, seen management and an enthusiastic cadre.
Talking to ThePrint final yr, he had emphasised the necessity for this. “Voter might click on a photograph with you. They may say that they by no means see you besides when there’s an election. They might shout at you. They might reward you. Something might occur. However at the least like this, the chief and the voter are having a dialogue,” he had stated.
The principle factor is to not get caught up in “tweets and press conferences”, he had additional stated on the time. “If the leaders cease touring, cease going to the streets, cease taking over floor points, then each the employees and the folks will lose religion.”
This mantra was first displayed organisationally when the Congress held its membership drive in 2022. Karnataka had the best variety of members at 78 lakh and Shivakumar had a giant position to play, declare members of his workforce. “We had a separate app for our digital membership drive, regardless that AICC (All India Congress Committee) was not completely happy about it. He (Shivakumar) used to go to bus and practice stations himself and conduct the drive,” stated a workforce member.
Congress’ new Vokkaliga face?
A have a look at the vote share percentages make it clear that the Congress has gained from the JD(S)’s loss. Whereas the Congress vote share went as much as 43.1 per cent from 38.61 per cent, the JD(S) vote share went right down to 13.3 per cent from 20.61 per cent.
The JD(S) vote, largely centred round its stronghold of the Previous Mysuru area, got here from the Vokkaligas, who rallied round former PM and celebration stalwart Deve Gowda.
This vote has now shifted to the Congress and Shivakumar might have been an element.
Shivakumar’s strategist Naresh Arora, founding father of political consultancy agency DesignBoxed — roped in by the Congress chief to assist his marketing campaign — says that there was no concerted technique to mission him because the Vokkaliga face of the celebration. Relatively, the hassle was to win over the youth throughout the group.
“Vokkaliga management in Karnataka has been Mr Deve Gowda unquestionably because the time he was prime minister. Vokkaliga votes are additionally not unfold as evenly. That places the chief coming from that group in a disadvantageous state of affairs. There have been numerous caste actions in Karnataka over the past two years, however Mr Shivakumar didn’t take part within the Vokkaliga reservation motion both. However the type of human being he’s has had an impact,” stated Arora to ThePrint.
“Within the Vokkaliga group, the youth in that group are fairly impressed with Mr. Shivakumar’s method of being. He’s a go-getter, he’s a present man, they usually see a future in him,” he added.
The final Vokkaliga face the Congress had in Karnataka was Shivakumar’s mentor S.M. Krishna. Since then, the void of a Vokkaliga face has remained within the celebration. Shivakumar may simply be filling the hole.
Fund issue
Congress leaders in Karnataka additionally level to a different necessary issue that has helped Shivakumar run the state organisation successfully — funding welfare.
In his 2023 election affidavit, Shivakumar declared household wealth of over Rs 1,400 crore.
When Covid hit and it was unclear whether or not the central authorities could be buying vaccines, Shivakumar had introduced that the Congress could be buying vaccines for your complete state and requested the state authorities for permission.
In Might 2020, Shivakumar and former state president Dinesh Gundu Rao paid Rs 1 crore every from their private funds to the Karnataka State Street Transport Company (KSRTC) to facilitate free transport for migrants. This pressured the then B. S. Yediyurappa authorities to announce free transport for migrants who needed to return to their native locations.
In April 2020, Karnataka Congress leaders, on the path of Shivakumar, reportedly procured greens from farmers who have been on the verge of losing their produce. They then offered the identical greens at subsidised charges to these in want.
“He caught to state politics. He didn’t intrude a lot with what the AICC was doing and customarily went together with what was informed or requested. He allowed it to be a workforce effort and never a D.Ok. Shivakumar present,” stated an AICC functionary working in Karnataka.
‘Skilled strategy’
Forward of the elections, Shivakumar roped in political consultancy agency DesignBoxed to assist together with his marketing campaign even though Sunil Kanugolu had been tasked with formulating an election technique for the AICC.
The thought was to deliver a extra “skilled strategy” to the state unit, Shivakumar had stated to ThePrint final yr.
Other than dealing with communications for Shivakumar, DesignBoxed additionally helped streamline organisational duties. Like a company entity, staff got particular targets to attain inside a set time period and the report of the identical was shared with the celebration president. Good staff have been felicitated and the state cadre was informed that this work would replicate within the ticket distribution.
It was additionally Shivakumar’s concept to ask Congress leaders to “apply” for tickets for the election.
‘Coronary heart-to-heart’ with Siddaramaiah
The choice to ask functions for tickets got here after a disagreement between Shivakumar and former CM Siddaramaiah, who’s the Congress’s most important mass chief in Karnataka, and likewise served because the chief of the Congress legislative celebration within the earlier meeting. It was reported that Siddaramaiah was campaigning for the candidates he needed to present tickets to, and Shivakumar had put a spanner within the works.
However, because the weeks handed, each Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah determined to place up a united entrance for the meeting elections.
In a video of a ‘heart-to-heart’ dialog between the 2 launched by the Congress earlier than elections, Shivakumar may be seen referring to his obvious adversary throughout the celebration as ‘Sir’.
“It does nothing for Shivakumar’s picture however he was very obsessed with doing the video. He had a easy diktat for us — the celebration should come earlier than D.Ok. Shivakumar,” stated a member of DesignBoxed, which produced the video.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
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