Some in Congress jittery over joint stir for D K Shivakumar

Bengaluru: The renewed bonhomie between the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Congress following the arrest of former minister D.K. Shivakumar by the Enforcement Directorate in Delhi has not gone down well among some sections of both parties.

While some Congress leaders claim the JD(S) is trying to renew its ties with the Congress only to take on  the Yediyurappa government in the state, a few in the JD(S) feel former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has gone with a “begging bowl” to his former coalition partner to renew the alliance in the garb of protesting Mr Shivakumar's arrest.

JD(S) leaders and workers had joined Congress leaders of Mandya and Ramanagara districts on Wednesday to protest against Mr Shivakumar's arrest for alleged money laundering.  

Surprised by the sudden turnaround in the fast souring relationship between the two parties , a section of Congress leaders points out that only recently Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader, Siddaramaiah had traded charges with Mr Kumaraswamy and Janata Dal(S) supremo, H D Deve Gowda on who was responsible for the fall of their coalition government in the state.

But it appears Mr Kumaraswamy's friendship with Mr Shivakumar has transcended the renewed rivalry between the two parties. Once strong opponents, the two men have now reportedly become  close friends owing to their common interest in the welfare of  their Vokkaliga community, which has a strong presence in the south Karnataka districts of Chamarajanagar, Mysuru, Mandya, Ramanagara, Bengaluru Rural, Tumakuru, Hassan, Chitradurga and Chikkaballapura.

In fact, Mr Shivakumar was the only Congress leader to defend Mr Kumaraswamy post the fall of the coalition government. And the JD(S) leader was the first to condemn his arrest by the ED.

But  a defeated Congress MLA of Mandya  claimed Mr Kumaraswamy was only using Mr Shivakumar as his party's influence had dwindled in the Vokkaliga strongholds and he  wanted friendly electoral battles to save its seats in the region.

He claimed the joint protests had not been liked by Mr Siddaramaiah too and urged KPCC president, Dinesh Gundurao to put a stop to them.

A former JD(S) minister too accused Mr Kumaraswamy of indirectly begging the Congress to continue with the alliance between the two parties under the garb of protesting Mr Shivakumar's arrest. “The father and son criticise Congress leaders in the morning and speak in support of Mr Shivakumar in the evening. What sort of politics are they playing?" he asked.