DK Shivakumar thanks BJP, JDS workers for Congress’s win in Channapatna bypolls

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Sunday thanked workers of the BJP and the Janata Dal (Secular) for “indirectly supporting” Congress candidate CP Yogeeshwara and ensuring his victory in the Channapatna bypoll.
“Many people from across the parties have helped us in this election. Congress had only 16,000 votes in the previous assembly election. It increased in the Lok Sabha elections,” Shivakumar said.
“Several Janata Dal leaders supported us, and BJP supporters also backed us. If BJP and JDS workers hadn’t indirectly supported us, we wouldn’t have received this many votes. I would like to thank all of them,” he added.
CP Yogeeshwara won the Channapatna bypoll on Saturday by a margin of 25,413 votes against his nearest rival and JDS candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy.
Notably, the Congress party won all the three Assembly bypolls in Karnataka, which include Channapatna, Sandur and Shiggaon.
Nikhil Kumaraswamy is the son of Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy and grandson of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda. In September last year, the JD(S) joined the NDA led by BJP.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka accused Shivakumar of creating a rift between BJP and the JD(S).
“Shivakumar should not try to pitch us (BJP and the JD-S) against each other,” Ashoka was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
He also questioned who was responsible for Shivakumar’s brother and former MP D K Suresh’s defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Bengaluru Rural constituency.
“Who is responsible for D K Suresh’s defeat? Wasn’t it Congress? Wasn’t it Siddaramaiah? Will he (Shivakumar) accept it?” Ashoka said.
He alleged that Shivakumar got C P Yogeeshwara from the BJP as there was no candidate in Congress.
Notably, Yogeeshwara quit the BJP and joined the Congress earlier this year ahead of the Channapatna assembly bypoll.