Got no option, as Congressman got to work for party: Shivakumar on Assam role

Bengaluru, Jan 8 (PTI) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who has been appointed as a senior party observer for the upcoming Assam Assembly elections, on Thursday said that he had no option and being a Congressman, has to comply with the party's diktats.

Shivakumar, former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Jharkhand ex-MLA Bandhu Tirkey were appointed on Wednesday by the Congress as the party's senior observers for the Assam Assembly polls, where the party is fancying its chances against the incumbent Himanta Biswa Sarma-led BJP government.

"I don’t have any option. Whatever the party tells us to do, we have to do it. That is what being a Congressman means. I have seen the AICC press release. They have asked me to look after Assam. I had been to Assam earlier as well, long ago, and now they want me there again. I will be going," Shivakumar, who is also the Karnataka Congress President, told reporters.

Elections to 126 constituencies in Assam are likely to be held in March-April.

Known as a troubleshooter, Shivakumar's new role comes as a twist in the chair saga in Karnataka, as he is widely seen as a claimant for the chief minister's post, amid talk of a leadership change. The party picking him for the Assam assignment has set off a buzz in the political circles of the southern state.

The power tussle within the ruling Congress has intensified amid speculation about a change in CM after the government crossed the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20.

The speculation has been fueled by a reported power-sharing understanding between CM Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar at the time of the Congress forming the government in 2023. PTI KSU SA