Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy on Saturday, 19 September 2026, said that the Vokkaliga community has stood behind former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda for the last 30 years and will continue to do so — endorsing remarks made by Congress MLA and former minister K.N. Rajanna on the same subject. Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Kumaraswamy said Rajanna's statement was not an exaggeration but a reflection of ground reality.

Kumaraswamy's stand on Vokkaliga loyalty

Kumaraswamy, who is the son of Deve Gowda, said the community's backing has been sustained by decades of political struggle. 'This community has been supporting us in our region for the last 30 years against the backdrop of Deve Gowda's struggle. There is no exaggeration in Rajanna's statement,' he said. He made clear that the community's loyalty lies with Deve Gowda and not with Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, despite Shivakumar also hailing from the Vokkaliga community.

Conditional support for Shivakumar

Kumaraswamy acknowledged that several members of the Vokkaliga community had approached him, urging him to let Shivakumar function freely as Chief Minister. He said he was open to extending full support if the state government delivered good governance. 'I tell them that I will forget everything from the past and will not discuss it for any reason. If good administration is delivered in the coming days, for which he has got an opportunity, we will extend our complete support,' he said. He was, however, emphatic that support for any Chief Minister must not be driven by caste identity alone.

Caste politics in Karnataka: A wider caution

Kumaraswamy argued that no Chief Minister could govern exclusively for one community, and that it was the duty of the state to serve all 6.5 crore people of Karnataka. 'Whoever becomes the Chief Minister cannot function confined to one community,' he said, questioning whether members of a community automatically prosper simply because one of their own occupies the top post. Notably, both Kumaraswamy and Shivakumar belong to the Vokkaliga community — making their rivalry one of intra-community political contestation rather than cross-caste competition. In the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections, Shivakumar had successfully drawn Vokkaliga votes toward the Congress, helping the party secure a decisive majority.

Attack on Priyank Kharge over KPSC appointments

Responding to allegations that he was indulging in 'hit-and-run' politics by targeting the Congress government, Kumaraswamy went on the offensive. He challenged Minister for Home, IT and Biotechnology Priyank Kharge to first account for the appointment of 24 Assistant Executive Engineers (AEE) through the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC). 'Let Priyank Kharge answer first regarding the appointment of 24 AEE engineers through KPSC. How and why was it done? How could it be done illegally? Let him answer these questions first. Till date, no answer has come from his side,' Kumaraswamy said. He warned that he would demonstrate at an appropriate time what 'hit-and-run' truly meant.

NICE project irregularities raised

Kumaraswamy also trained his guns on the NICE (Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises) project, questioning whether the state government was complying with directions from the Supreme Court and the High Court. 'What has happened in the NICE project? Are they implementing the Supreme Court and High Court guidelines? How can they distribute sites? Whose land is it?' he asked, flagging alleged irregularities in the project's administration. The remarks signal that Kumaraswamy intends to keep up pressure on the Congress government across multiple governance fronts in the weeks ahead.