'Vote for Mahagathbandhan': Shivakumar urges Bengaluru firms to grant leave to Bihar employees for polls

Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Sunday appealed to businesses and establishments in the city, employing people from Bihar in their organisations, to grant them three to four days of leave, to enable them to cast a vote during the Assembly polls in their home state.

Shivakumar, who is also the Karnataka Congress President, appealed to people of Bihar, residing in Bengaluru to vote for 'Mahagathbandhan', while pitching it as the only alternative to that state's progress.

The much awaited Bihar Assembly polls, where the opposition bloc -- Mahagathbandhan-- led by the RJD and the Congress is striving to unseat the ruling NDA, will be held over two phases on November 6 and 11. The votes will be counted on November 14.

"People of Bihar are hardworking. I'm happy interacting with them. Many of them reside here and speak Kannada. While many of them have their votes here, some have retained their votes there (in Bihar). I had come here to appeal to them to vote for Mahagathbandhan," Shivakumar said.

Speaking to reporters after addressing people from Bihar residing in Bengaluru, he said, "I appeal to all the businesses, establishments, and contractors in the city that if there is anyone working in their organisation, who has a vote in Bihar, to give them leave for three to four days, to enable them to cast their votes." Stating that the Mahagathbandhan should come to power in Bihar and Tejashwi Yadav should become the chief minister, Shivakumar said the Mahagathbandhan is the only alternative for the progress of Bihar.

Indicating the possibility of him going to Bihar for campaigning, he said, "I will not meet anyone from the high command, everyone is busy with the elections." To a question about those at the event wishing a "bigger role" for him in the days ahead, Shivakumar said, "There is no need for it now. Ensuring Mahagathbandhan win is the first priority." The wish for a bigger role to Shivakumar has come amid speculation about chief minister change in Karnataka in the days ahead with him as the prime contender for the post.

Noting people from Bihar saying that they don't have any office in the city for their association, Shivakumar said, he has assured them a site to enable them to construct an office, and similar demand has come from people belonging to Assam, living in the city.