3rd visit this week, DK Shivakumar goes all out to woo voters in Karnataka’s Channapatna ahead of impending bypoll

The two other seats are Shiggaon in Haveri district – represented by Haveri MP and former CM Basavaraj Bommai and Sandur in Ballari district – represented by Congress MP E Tukaram.

Ever since Kumaraswamy was elected to the Lok Sabha, Channapatna constituency has been the centre of attention with Shivakumar hinting at the possibility of him contesting from the constituency. However, Congress insiders say that the Vokkaliga strongman is unlikely to contest the bypoll despite his recent assertion.

‘D K Suresh won’t contest’

“Discussions to finalise candidates for the bypoll at Channapatna and other constituencies are yet to take place. Though D K Suresh is considered favourite to get the party ticket, he will not contest. The party leadership will pick a local candidate for the polls,” a senior Congress leader said.

The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president currently represents Kanakapura constituency, which neighbours the Channapatna seat.

Suresh is Shivakumar’s brother who lost the recent Lok Sabha polls against BJP candidate Dr C N Manjunath, the son-in-law of JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda. In the Assembly polls held in 2023, Kumaraswamy had won by a margin of 16,000 votes against BJP’s C P Yogeeshwar.

BJP’s response to speculations

As discussions raged regarding Shivakumar’s possible candidature, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra on Wednesday said that the Congress leader will not contest from Channapatna. “In the last Assembly polls, the BJP came second in the constituency and Congress was a distant third. During the Lok Sabha polls, BJP candidate Dr C N Manjunath got a lead of more than 25,000 votes from the assembly segment. I don’t think he (Shivakumar) will contest when he knows that other Congress leaders are waiting to weaken him,” he said.

C P Yogeshwara, who is currently the BJP MLC, has lost the last two elections from the constituency against Kumarasamy. Since 1999, he was elected MLA five-times from the segment – twice from Congress, once each from the BJP and Samajwadi Party, and once as an Independent.

“He is among the strong aspirants for the seat. However, both the BJP and the JD(S) leadership will sit and finalise a candidate,” BJP MLC N Ravikumar said.

According to insiders, the JD(S) is unlikely to cede the seat to BJP due to its previous electoral performances in the constituency.

‘Fulfilling duties of party president’

Refusing to read much into the frequent trips of Shivakumar to Channapatna, Agriculture Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy maintained that he was only fulfilling his role as a party president. “Since the elections can be declared any time, it is his responsibility to make preparations,” the minister said.

Shiggaon and Sandur picks

To pick a candidate for Shiggaon, local Congress leaders held a preliminary meeting on Tuesday. According to sources, Yasir Khan Pathan – who lost the 2023 polls against Bommai, former MLA Ajjampir Khadri and Shivaleela, wife of Congress MLA and former minister Vinay Kulkarni are said to be lobbying for the seat. The party is expected to settle with a minority candidate from the segment.

In Sandur, former MP Y Devendrappa is learnt to be seeking the ticket for either him or his family members, say BJP sources. K S Diwakar, who had contested the 2023 polls from the disgraced mining baron Janardhan Reddy-led Kalyana Rajya Pragathi Paksha (KRPP), is also considered a favourite as the KRPP merged with the BJP ahead of Lok Sabha polls.

Congress, meanwhile, is likely to field Tukaram’s daughter Sowparnika from the seat. “Part of the pact with Tukaram was that a member of his family will be given the Sandur ticket if he contests from the Ballari Lok Sabha seat. Though his wife or son could also be candidates, Sowparnika is the front-runner,” according to a source.