Not satisfied with 135 seats, focus on Lok Sabha polls: D K Shivakumar

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP won 25 out of 28 seats in Karnataka while Congress managed to win just one

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Sunday said he is not “satisfied” with the Congress bagging 135 seats in the Assembly election as he called up party workers to start working on the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Shivakumar, who is also the Karnataka Congress president, was speaking at a party event to observe former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi’s death anniversary.

“Our next biggest responsibility is the Parliament election and corporation election,” Shivakumar said. “I might have won 135 seats, but I’m not satisfied because the cadre should have a proper vision,” he said.

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Shivakumar will be the KPCC president until the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Before that, Shivakumar also anticipates the all-important Bengaluru civic body polls.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP won 25 out of 28 seats in Karnataka. The Congress managed to win just one seat - Bangalore Rural - where Shivakumar’s brother D K Suresh withstood the saffron wave.

Shivakumar said the Congress’ victory in Karnataka was “a big message” for India.

“Move on from the [Assembly] election that happened. Start working on the next election. You have one year's time. I don't want your flowers and bouquets. I just want votes in the booth. Go door-to-door. Those who've gone away from you, bring them closer,” Shivakumar told party workers while underlining the difference between an Assembly and Parliament election.

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Shivakumar also scoffed at party workers for bad-mouthing leaders. “You’ll be a leader only if you’re strong in the booth. Loitering around the house of Siddaramaiah or Shivakumar won’t do. Nobody should come to me grumbling about Siddaramaiah and M B Patil. Likewise, no one should go to them with what I've said. I don't need any mediator,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said defeating “politics of hatred” would be the “real tribute” that Congress can give Rajiv Gandhi. “The BJP says Congress supported terrorism. But no BJP leader died due to terrorism. Congress people have fought terrorism in the country,” he said.

“There won’t be peace and harmony as long as the BJP is around. The poor, Dalits and backward classes are living in fear,” Siddaramaiah charged.