BENGALURU: Congress leader DK Shivakumar has risen from being a member of the National Students Union of India, the student wing of the Congress to becoming the party’s Karnataka president and now a deputy chief minister-designate.
Shivakumar was announced deputy chief minister by Congress after the party’s emphatic win in the Karnataka Assembly elections this month.
Believed to be a mass leader, Shivakumar started his political journey at the young age of 18 when he joined NSUI, the student wing of Congress, and became its President for the Bangalore district unit at an early age (1981-83).
While studying at Ram Narayan Chellaram College in Bangalore, DK Shivakumar joined the Youth Congress and was elected its General Secretary for its State Unit.
His political career had a tough start in 1985 when he was fielded against Janata Dal’s most influential leader HD Deve Gowda at Satanur Legislative Assembly Constituency.
Shivakumar gave a tough fight to Deve Gowda which the JDS leader won.
In 1987, the Congress leader was elected member of the Bengaluru Rural Zilla Panchayat from Satanur Constituency.
In 1989, he contested from the Satanur Legislative Assembly Constituency representing Indian National Congress Party. Shivakumar won the seat with a thumping majority.
Shivakumar played an important role in 1991, in bringing Sarekoppa Bangarappa Government to power and was appointed Minister for Prisons, who was then the youngest Minister in his Cabinet.
However, in the next election in 1994, his opponents were successful in denying him the party ticket. Shivakumar contested as a rebel candidate and continued his winning journey.
In 1999, when SM Krishna was elected President of the Karnataka Congress, Shivakumar supported him. The Congress Party won a resounding victory in the elections to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and Shivakumar was instrumental in bringing the party to victory and in forming the Government.
When Krishna started the election campaign by blowing Panchajanya, Shivakumar had organized a historic Yatra, which brought Congress Party to power with 139 seats and helped to form Government on its own strength. Shivakumar was able to win again for the third time in a row. Krishna appointed him as a Cabinet Minister by allocating the portfolio to Cooperation. Shivakumar was given recognition for his hard work (1999-2002).
In 2002, Shivakumar served as Minister of Urban Development and the Chairman of the State Planning Board. As the Chairman of the Cabinet Sub-committee, he led the “Rajiv Yuva Shakti” organizations to organize the youth and settle them in life in the State. He was instrumental in starting Stree Shakthi the first women’s empowerment organization in the world.
In 1999, the Congress Party had given a ticket to Shivakumar to contest against Deve Gowda’s son HD Kumaraswamy from Satanur constituency once again.
Though Deve Gowda had the glamour of Prime Minister, Kumaraswamy lost the election. Shivakumar emerged victorious.
When the Congress-JDS Coalition Government was formed for the first time in 2004, SM Krishna was sidelined as per the dictate of the alliance partner, Dharam Singh was made Chief Minister.
But, it was Shivakumar, who persuaded the higher-ups in the party to get the gubernatorial post of the Governor of Maharashtra for Krishna.
In 2004, Shivakumar came out with flying colours at Satanur Legislative Assembly constituency for the fourth consecutive term. But, the Congress party failed to win a majority.
Due to a lack of a majority to form the Government on its own, the Congress Party had to align itself with Janata Dal (Secular) led by Deve Gowda, to prevent the Bharatiya Janata Party to garner power.
For the first time in the history of the State, the Congress-JDS alliance emerged as a coalition government. There was no place for Shivakumar in the Cabinet.
In 2013, when the Congress party returned to power and Siddaramaiah was elected Chief Minister, Shivakumar was inducted into the Siddaramaiah Government as Minister for Energy after seven months.
Shivakumar was arrested by the ED in September 2019 in an alleged money laundering case. The I-T department conducted raids on Shivakumar in August 2017.
After his return from Jail, Sonia Gandhi appointed him as KPCC President on March 11, 2020.
He led the party to an emphatic victory in the recently concluded Assembly polls, ending the BJP rule in the only southern state it ruled.
Shivakumar will be sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka on May 20. (ANI)