Archive · 18 Sep 2026
Rajanna Says Shivakumar Alone Can Bring Congress Votes
K.N. Rajanna made a sarcastic comment about which Karnataka leader can attract votes for Congress.
He said votes would now come to the party because of D.K. Shivakumar.
Rajanna compared Shivakumar’s Vokkaliga community with Siddaramaiah’s Kuruba community.
He asked whether Vokkaligas would support Congress in large numbers if Shivakumar became chief minister.
He said voters, not politicians, would decide this in an election.
Rajanna also defended Siddaramaiah’s importance in Congress.
He called Siddaramaiah an unquestionable leader of the Ahinda community.
H.C. Balakrishna responded that weakening any major Congress leader would weaken the party.
Congress MLA K.N. Rajanna said votes would now come to the party because of Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.
Rajanna contrasted Shivakumar’s Vokkaliga identity with Siddaramaiah’s association with the Kuruba community.
He questioned whether Vokkaligas would support Congress en masse if Shivakumar became chief minister.
Rajanna called Siddaramaiah an unquestionable leader of the Ahinda community and rejected claims that his influence had declined.
Minister H.C. Balakrishna said weakening any key Congress leader, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Shivakumar or Siddaramaiah, would weaken the party.
- Who
- Congress MLA K.N. Rajanna, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Minister H.C. Balakrishna.
- What
- Rajanna compared the electoral appeal of Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah and defended Siddaramaiah’s standing in Congress.
- When
- Friday; the article does not provide a specific date.
- Where
- Tumakuru, Karnataka; Rajanna also referred to the Madhugiri sub-division.
- Why
- Rajanna was responding to media questions and discussing the leaders’ influence, communities and future electoral support.
Rajanna’s View
Shivakumar Ally’s View
Which leader brings Congress votes
Rajanna’s View
Rajanna said votes would come to Congress because of D.K. Shivakumar and questioned whether Vokkaligas would support the party en masse.
Shivakumar Ally’s View
H.C. Balakrishna argued that Congress would be weakened if any key leader, including Shivakumar or Siddaramaiah, were weakened.
Siddaramaiah’s influence
Rajanna’s View
Rajanna defended Siddaramaiah as an unquestionable Ahinda leader and rejected claims that his words were not valued in the government.
Shivakumar Ally’s View
The response emphasized the importance of preserving the strength of all major Congress leaders rather than relying on one leader alone.
- Speaker
- K.N. Rajanna, a Congress MLA and close associate of Siddaramaiah
- Chief minister mentioned
- D.K. Shivakumar
- Communities compared
- Shivakumar’s Vokkaliga community and Siddaramaiah’s Kuruba community
- Siddaramaiah’s standing
- Rajanna called him an unquestionable leader of the Ahinda community
- Response
- H.C. Balakrishna said weakening any key Congress leader would weaken the party
- Future election plan
- Rajanna said he intends to contest a Lok Sabha election from a constituency to be formed in Madhugiri after delimitation