Davanagere, April 2 (NationPress) In a robust rebuttal to accusations of fostering family politics in candidate selection for the by-elections, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar raised a pertinent question: Is there an absence of family politics within the BJP and JD(S)?

During a media interaction in Davanagere on Thursday, he responded to the BJP’s claim that a single family holds sway over local politics by pointing out, “Shivashankarappa and his son have long been entrenched in politics. Such dynamics are present in all political parties.”

It’s noteworthy that the Congress has nominated Samarth Mallikarjun, the grandson of the late Shivashankarappa, for the Davanagere seat. Samarth's father, S.S. Mallikarjun, is the Minister for Mining, Geology, and Horticulture, while his mother, Prabha Mallikarjun, serves as the Lok Sabha representative for Davanagere. In Bagalkot, Umesh Meti, the son of the late Meti, is also a candidate.

“Isn’t former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa involved in politics with his two sons? Isn’t there a group of five or six from the same family in the Janata Dal?” Shivakumar challenged.

He emphasized the significant contributions made by the late Shamanur Shivashankarappa and late H.Y. Meti to the regions of Davanagere and Bagalkot.

Discussing the bye-election campaigns in these constituencies, Shivakumar remarked, “Late Shivashankarappa and late Meti are respected leaders of our party, having served as MLAs, ministers, and MPs. I have visited both constituencies, and they are more developed than Bengaluru. I take pride in the legacy of these leaders.”

“All community segments appreciate their efforts. I spoke with minority leaders here, who shared that whenever they faced challenges, Shivashankarappa’s family was always there to assist. This illustrates the trust that the constituents have in him. I am thrilled to be part of this election campaign,” he added.

“I will also engage in election campaigns in Assam and Kerala. Our administration allocates ₹60,000 crore annually for the populace through guarantee schemes. Members of our guarantee committees have visited every household in the area, and residents are backing these initiatives.

In Assam, guarantee benefits are restricted to BJP supporters, whereas our schemes are accessible to every community, regardless of political affiliation. This is why our president, Mallikarjun Kharge, has announced guarantee programs in Assam, including land rights, pensions, and other advantages,” he stated.

When asked about the widespread guarantee schemes in Karnataka, he said, “We are the architects of these schemes. Currently, the rise in prices is alarming. From fuel to cooking gas and even agricultural pesticides, costs have surged. Due to gas shortages, many are reverting to firewood stoves. This is a failure of the Central Government, which is neglecting the public's issues. In this scenario, we initiated guarantee schemes to aid the populace. We are confident that people appreciate our initiatives.”

On the electoral climate in Kerala, he expressed confidence that the INDIA alliance will prevail, citing public discontent over rising prices and other pressing matters as a catalyst for change.

In response to former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s comment about a potential struggle for the Chief Minister role post-elections, Shivakumar remarked, “He might be speaking from his party’s experiences. In Congress, we are unified and will adhere to the high command’s decisions. At the right moment, the leadership will make a fair decision for everyone.”

When questioned about a possible summons to Delhi from the party's high command, he said, “I have no updates on that.”

Later, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar campaigned in support of Congress candidate Samarth at Akhtar Raja Circle in Davanagere, joined by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Ministers S.S. Mallikarjun and Dr. M.C. Sudhakar, MP Prabha Mallikarjun, and MLAs N.S. Harris, Shivalingegowda, Yasir Pathan, Balkis Banu, among others.