Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar defended the Congress’ decision to give tickets to family members for bypolls in Karnataka. He pointed out that family politics is common across parties, citing examples from Davangere. Shivakumar mentioned that they convinced Prabha Mallikarjun to contest the elections to secure a victory in Davanagere.
Shivakumar addressed concerns about rebel candidates within the party contesting in Davangere, stating that they would resolve the issue through discussions. He mentioned that both he and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah visited Davangere and Bagalkot to address the situation.
Responding to internal party dissatisfaction, Shivakumar acknowledged that everyone has aspirations, indicating that it is a normal part of party dynamics. The Congress faced resistance for nominating Samarth Mallikarjun, grandson of late Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa, for the Davanagere South seat.
Shivakumar clarified that his visit to Delhi was to participate in a media organization’s conference discussing India’s current direction.
