Nothing is permanent in politics: D K Shivakumar, says hopeful of winning coastal Karnataka

Mangaluru: A day after the Karnataka budget, the Deputy Chief Minister and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, D K Shivakumar said that the list of potential candidates for the Lok Sabha elections is being readied and the final list will be released after another round of survey.

Speaking to mediapersons here on Friday, Shivakumar exuded confidence that the people of the coastal district would vote for a change in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

“Nothing is permanent in politics. Nothing is impossible. People here in Dakshina Kannada want to bring in a change in Lok Sabha elections. So we have organised the Congress workers convention in Mangaluru. I am confident of people in coastal area paving a way for a change in the Lok Sabha election," he said.

“There is rise in unemployment. Students migrate to Gulf countries and other cities like Bengaluru and Mumbai in search of employment from the coastal region. There is an attempt to disrupt peace. There is decline in student enrolment in educational institutions. BJP is raking up emotional issues rather than development works,” said the deputy chief minister.

'Wont interfere'

On the question of BJP’s demand for withdrawal of FIR registered against BJP MLAs D Vedavyas Kamath and Dr Y Bharath Shetty in connection with the protest near St Gerosa English Higher Primary School in Mangaluru, Shivakumar said that it is up to the police to take action. “The law will take its own course. The police will decide who has committed the mistake. Let the investigation take place,” he added.

On Belthangady MLA Harish Poonja’s allegations that "tax collected in Dakshina Kannada goes to Muslims", the deputy chief minister said, “When we raised the issue of injustice being meted out to Karnataka, they did not raise their voice. Out of Rs 3.71 lakh crore state budget, only Rs 3,000 crore, which is less than 1 per cent, has been given for Muslim schools and other development works. Can’t we give 1 per cent to them? They are making statements for political purpose,” he said.

‘Voters know D K Suresh’

To a query on discussion on the possibility of Dr C N Manjunath, who served as the director of Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, contesting in Bengaluru rural as a BJP-JD(S) coalition candidate against MP D K Suresh , the minister said it will not have any impact on his brother.

"People of Bengaluru rural know the difference between Suresh and other MPs," he said.

“I have successfully contested against H D Deve Gowda and H D Kumaraswamy. Suresh had won against Anitha Kumaraswamy with a margin of more than 1.3 lakh votes. Voters know D K Suresh as a ground level worker. People know the difference between Suresh and other MPs. Voters will decide,” Shivakumar added.