Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jul 23: The current developments in the state Congress go to show that anything can happen in politics and no one can predict who will rise and who will fall. Till now, fans of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, D K Shivakumar, were declaring that he will be the next chief minister. Even though Shivakumar did not say it aloud, it was apparent that he wanted to be projected as such.

There are some developments which are worrying for Shivakumar. As there is a move to unseat Yediyurappa, the Congress is planning to bank on the Lingayat votes. State Congress leaders, M B Patil and Shamanur Shivashankarappa, have demanded that Yediyurappa, an established Lingayat leader, should not be dethroned as chief minister. At the same time, within the party, activities are happening slowly to give the seat of the KPCC president to a Lingayat leader.

Because of internal squabbles, allegations of nepotism, corruption etc BJP is said to be slowly losing its sheen. The Congress can hope to wrest power in the state in 2023. To make this happen, the party is badly in need of Lingayat votes. As a measure to achieve this goal, it is said, the party wants to make former minister M B Patil, the next KPCC president.

If the national leaders ask him to vacate his seat, Shivakumar cannot deny. He cannot lobby hard as his godfather Ahmed Patel is not available. Moreover because of certain allegations he is facing, he cannot totally assert his right. Therefore he may have to climb down, sources say.