Karnataka by-polls: DK Shivakumar’s strategy fails before execution?

DK Shivakumar’s masterplan for Yeshwanthpur by-polls seems to have failed miserably, with the internal rift in Congress coming to the fore  

Bengaluru: With nominations underway for the upcoming by-polls on December 5, parties are busy deciding on the candidates for the 15 constituencies for which by-polls will be held. The Karnataka Congress unit held a meeting on Monday (Nov 11) to finalise the second list of candidates for by-polls. The party declared that they would release the final list on Nov 13 after the Supreme Court delivers its verdict on the disqualified MLAs case. But now, one of the plans of Congress trouble shooter DK Shivakumar seems to have backfired even before it was executed.

Reportedly, Congress leader DK Shivakumar had decided to play caste politics and field a Vokkaliga leader from Yeshwanthpur constituency. Shivakumar was reportedly planning to field Priyakrishna against Somashekar in Yeshwanthpur but this plan has backfired.

According to latest reports, MLA M Krishnappa has opposed the idea of pitting Priyakrishna against Somashekar in Yeshwanthpur constituency. Priyakrishna is the son of MLA M Krishnappa. The party had decided to field Priyakrishna from Yeshwanthpur during a meeting chaired by LoP Siddaramaiah and KPCC chief Dinesh Gundu Rao on Monday (Nov 11).  

M Krishnappa has stated that his son Priyakrishna will not contest by-polls from any other constituency other than Govindrajnagar constituency.

Vokkaliga party workers and leaders pressured the party to field Priyakrishna from Yeshwanthpur on Monday and MLA M Krishnappa had sought time to think about the issue.

Apparently, MLA M Krishnappa thinks that his son Priyakrishna will have a good future in politics only if he wins from Govindarajnagar constituency.

If Supreme Court’s verdict favours the disqualified MLAs, the BJP will field ST Somashekar from Yeshwanthpur constituency which is his turf.

MLA M Krishnappa has made his stance clear that Priyakrishna will not contest polls from Yeshwanthpur and should be given a ticket from Govindarajnagar constituency.

After DK Shivakumar was released on bail in a money laundering case, he has been trying to execute most of his plans for the by-polls. However, most of his plans don’t seem to be working out.