Anyone who follows Karnataka politics would know that Water Resources minister DK Shivakumar is the person whose number is on speed dial whenever the Congress is in trouble. He was the person who ensured Congress and JD(S) MLAs were not poached upon in May 2018 and helped install the coalition government.
But at a time when the Karnataka government is likely to suffer collateral damage in case the BJP returns to power at the Centre on 23 May, Shivakumar is nowhere near Karnataka. Or even in India for that matter.
He has gone Down Under on a family vacation. The only hope for the Congress-JDS is that it does not go down under before Shivakumar returns on 26 May.
Shivakumar wished former prime minister HD Deve Gowda on his 87 th birthday on 18 May and left soon after the exit poll results were announced on Sunday. Eyebrows have gone up on the timing of his foreign vacation especially when it was common knowledge that relations between the alliance partners were strained. A day after he left, senior Congress leader Roshan Baig revolted against the party leadership in Karnataka.
Shivakumar was monitoring the bypoll in Kundagol apart from handling the party campaign in Mandya and Shivamogga constituencies this election.
Categories: Political Pickle