Ever since the Congress government came to power in Karnataka and Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar emerged as the Vokkaliga face of the grand old party in the state, the JD(S), which was the sole stakeholder of the community until then, is strategising to regain its hold over the influential caste group.
Sources said that though it was a question of secular identity of the party, former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda consented to JD(S)' alliance with the BJP for the same reason.
Shivakumar is emerging as powerful in the Congress government and is projecting himself on par with the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, sources said, adding that his influence over the Vokkaliga community is growing by the day.
In this backdrop, former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has joined hands with his sworn enemy and former BJP Minister C.P. Yogeshwar to check Shivakumar and his brother and MP from Bengaluru Rural, D.K. Suresh.
Kumaraswamy had earlier changed his constituency to contest from Channapatna against Yogeshwar to sideline him. Both leaders were involved in bitter war of words earlier.
The local leaders have reportedly requested Kumaraswamy to forget the rivalry and broker a compromise.
Kumaraswamy, carefully considering the deal, has agreed to join hands with Yogeshwar. In turn, Yogeshwar visited Kumaraswamy twice at the hospital. Sources said that both leaders are planning to wrest the Bengaluru Rural MP seat from D.K. Suresh.
Suresh was the only Congress to taste electoral success in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The Bengaluru Rural seat is dominated by Shivakumar brothers for a long period.
Suresh had registered thumping victories in 2013 (bypoll), 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Prior to that in 2009, Kumaraswamy had won against Yogeshwar.
The constituency came into existence in 2008 following the delimitation of parliamentary constituencies.
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