Pics: Spoorthi Ullal/Silvester D'Souza/Harshini Brahmavar

Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)
With inputs from IANS

Bengaluru, Jul 2: Former minister D K Shivakumar, took over charge as the 41st president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) at a mega virtual rally held at the auditorium of KPCC office on Queens Road here on Thursday July 2.

He vowed to bring the party back to power in the southern state with the support of its leaders and cadres.

"I am assuming charge as the party's state President with a promise to bring the Congress back to power in the state under collective leadership and support of our cadres," he said at the party office here.

D K Shivakumar receiving party flag in Bengaluru

Mangaluru Congress office


Beltangady

At Pramod Madhwaraj's house

Ammanni Hall, Udupi

Congress Bhavan, Brahmagiri

Kundapur


Udyavar

Addressing thousands of party's cadres across the state through live streaming of the event, Shivakumar said he was grateful to Congress President Sonia Gandhi for giving him an opportunity to strengthen the party and returning to power for serving the people.

"Though the BJP tried its best to finish me off politically by sending me to Tihar jail in September (2019) after misusing the Income Tax office and the Enforcement Directorate to frame false cases, I have emerged stronger with the support of the party leadership," he asserted.

Dressed in kurta-pyjama and sporting a white Nehru cap, Shivakumar said as he believed in collective leadership, he would take the help of senior leaders in gearing up the party for the next state assembly elections, due in 2023.

"I joined the party as an ordinary worker long ago and grew up over the years by working under the leadership of S. Bangarappa, S.M. Krishna, Dharam Singh, Mallikarjun Kharge and Siddaramaiah at the state level and under Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi at the national level," he said.

Shivakumar said he would adopt the model of the party's Kerala unit to create leaders from the booth level.

Earlier, the 58-year-old Shivakumar took reins of the party's state unit in style, with hundreds of party leaders and cadres witnessing the event which was streamed live.

"Shivakumar took oath as the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president on 'Pratigna Dina' (Day of Oath) inside the newly constructed auditorium at the party office in compliance with the lockdown guidelines, which restricted the gathering to about 50 people," party leader M.A. Saleem told IANS here.

Party's General Secretary K.C. Venugopal, newly-elected Rajya Sabha member from the state Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah, former state chief Dinesh Gundu Rao, former Union Minister Rehman Khan and party's women's wing head Pushpa Amarnath were present on the occasion.

"Shivakumar's loyalty towards the party is his best quality. We have seen many leaders desert the party in times of crisis. Despite facing problems caused by the NDA government, he stood by the party like a rock," said Venugopal, who is in charge of the party's state unit.

Sonia and Rahul Gandhi also greeted Shivakumar and wished him in his endeavour to revive the party after facing rout in the May 2019 general elections and May 2018 assembly polls in the state.

The over 4-hour long event began with the party's rank and file paying homage to 20 martyrs of the Indian Army who died in a clash with Chinese soldiers in Ladakh's Galwan Valley on June 15.

After hoisting the party's flag and reciting 'Vande Mataram' to invoke the motherland, party's state unit working president Saleem Ahmed welcomed all those at the venue and all those who watched the event remotely from across the state.

As per the party's tradition, Gundu Rao handed over the Congress flag to Shivakumar.

All party leaders and cadres took constitutional pledge as administered by Khan. Shivakumar led the pledge of loyalty to the party, with all leaders and cadres joining him in unison.

Terming the event historic, Shivakumar said that though he took charge in the presence of a few party leaders due to restriction on a large gathering, hundreds of party leaders and cadres joined him in the virtual world from 7,800 places across the state through live streaming.

Though Shivakumar was appointed on March 11, he could not take charge then, due to the lockdown.

Shivakumar's appointment came three months after Gundu Rao resigned on December 9 following the party's debacle in the Assembly byelections on December 5, in which only 2 out of the 15 candidates won, while the ruling BJP got 12.

Shivakumar is a legislator from the Kanakapura assembly segment.

Hundreds of Congress party workers along with leaders watched D K Shivakumar’s oath taking ceremony on LED screen, which was arranged by District Youth Congress Udupi at Congress Bhavan, Brahmagiri.

KPCC vice-president Manjunath Bhandary inaugurated the programme in Udupi. U R Sabhapati, district president Ashok Kumar Kodavoor, Krishnamurthy Acharya, youth congress district president Vishwas Ameen, Amritha Krishnamurthy, Diwakar Shetty, Y Sukumar, Kabeer Saheb and several party activists were present.

The programme began with the national song Vande Mataram. U R Sabhapathi administered the oath to district Congress members at Congress Bhavan.

Another LED screening was also arranged at Ammanni Ramanna hall in Udupi. Ramesh Kanchan, councillor Bailoor ward, Narasimha Murthy and others were present.

The oath taking ceremony was also arranged at former minister Pramod Madhwaraj's house in Kolalagiri. Prakhyath Shetty Amin, vice president, Vignesh Kini and local leaders were present.

LED screens were arranged at 176 places in 10 blocks of Udupi districts.

At Beltangady, Hareesh Kini, coordinator KPCC, former MLA Vasanth Bangera, Beltangady Block Congress (urban) Committee president Shailesh Kumar Kurthodi, Block Congress (Rural) president Ranjan Gowda, KPCC coordinator Krishnamurthi, social media chief Anil Pai, Sandeep N, Chandrashekhar, Theresa Lobo, APMC former president Bharath Kumar, and Youth Congress leader Shabareesh Suvarna were present.

Udyavar rural Congress unit hosted the zoom live session of the D K Shivakumar's swearing in ceremony.

Sarala S Kanchan, Robert Fernandes, and gram panchayat member Hameed Sabjan inaugurated the even by lighting the lamp.

Girish Kumar, president, Rural Congress Udyavar, Nagesh Kumar and other partymen took part in the programme.

Former members of municipal council and local Congress workers watched and celebrated the oath taking programme of new KPCC president D K Shivakumar at Fish House hotel auditorium, near Balayipade national highway.

Udupi block Congress secretary Jayaveer Fredricks lit a lamp and set the programme in motion. The recitation of the constitution and community oath was conducted in between the live relay as per directions from KPCC. Activists shouted slogans when the power was handed over from former president Dinesh Gundurao. Former members of municipal council and activists blasted crackers near Balayipade national highway, Udyavar shouting slogans in favour of D K Shivakumar and Congress party after S K Shivakumar completed his speech.

Former councillor Shashiraj Kunder, Sukhesh Kunder, Vijaya Poojary Manchi, Chandrakanth Nayak, Udupi block Congress vice president Sadashiva Ameen Kattegudde, Pradeep Kunjibettu, Congress youth leaders Neeraj Patil, Pranav Kasturba Nagar, Sudhaker Poojary Parkala, Bony Pais Saralebettu, Ganesh Shettybettu, Ashok K P, Harish Nayak, Dinesh Poojary, Anil Kumar, Supreeth Suvarna, Prasanna Kumar, Mohan Soans, Sandesh Poojary, Vasanth Kumar, Charith Poojary, Raghu, Sanil Kutpady and others were present.