Bengaluru: While state JD(S) chief H.D. Kumaraswamy has denied that his arch rival and Energy Minister D.K. Shivakumar has softened towards him, some in the Congress believe the Minister has reached out to the JD(S) leader to lay the ground to become Chief Minister himself with his help in the event of a fractured verdict in the coming assembly poll.
Mr Shivakumar has not enjoyed the best of relations with the Gowda family, so much so that when the Congress-JD (S) coalition came to power in 2004, he was kept out of the cabinet at its insistence. But since then he has not only mended bridges with the Gowda family, but is also now trying to help Mr Kumaraswamy defeat the BJP in Channapatna, these Congress leaders contend.
Noting that the Minister has not once attacked the Deve Gowda family during the present campaign is, they claim this is part of his strategy to seek its support should the Congress fail to get a majority of its own in the state elections.
These party insiders also believe that Mr Shivakumar, has in anticipation of a hung assembly, developed a good rapport with independent candidates too. "Mr Shivakumar has been cleverly making his moves to reach his goal should he become Congress Legislature Party leader," they claim.
With AICC general secretary, K.C. Venugopal clarifying once again on Wednesday that the legislature party would elect its leader after the elections, Mr Shivakumar's plan still holds good, according to them.
