Bengaluru, Feb 3 (PTI) – Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Congress state president D K Shivakumar has once again extended an invitation to JD(S) workers to join the Congress party, emphasizing that the offer is aimed at grassroots workers, not legislators.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Shivakumar urged JD(S) workers in Channapatna, Ramanagara district, to align with the Congress for better political opportunities. He asserted that while JD(S) MLAs are securing their own futures, they are neglecting local-level efforts, leaving their workers in limbo.
"I didn’t speak about any JD(S) legislators. My offer is for JD(S) workers. The MLAs are taking care of their future, but they are not doing anything at the local level. How long should the party workers keep waiting?" Shivakumar said.
He further claimed that many JD(S) workers are eager to switch to Congress, prompting him to extend the offer. "I have called upon JD(S) workers who believe in secular ideology to join us and work together," he added.
Shivakumar categorically stated that no JD(S) MLA had approached him or shown interest in joining Congress. "No JD(S) MLA has contacted me or expressed a desire to join. I have not spoken to any of them, nor am I concerned about it because our existing strength is sufficient," he clarified.
Supporting Shivakumar’s stance, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said that Congress welcomes those who embrace its ideology.
The move is being seen as an attempt by Congress to strengthen its foothold in JD(S) strongholds, including Ramanagara, Mandya, and Hassan districts. The Congress recently delivered a significant setback to JD(S) in the Channapatna bypoll by defeating Nikhil Kumaraswamy, the grandson of JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and son of Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy.
Kumaraswamy had vacated the Channapatna MLA seat after winning the Mandya Lok Sabha election in 2024. The JD(S) has yet to respond to Shivakumar’s remarks.
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