One man with courage makes a majority, says D.K. Shivakumar

Apparently sending a message of optimism, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who is eyeing the chief ministerial post, on Monday made a loaded statement on the floor of the Legislative Assembly, saying “Politics is the art of the possible, and I believe that one man with courage makes a majority”.

The remark came in response to comments by Leader of the Opposition R. Ashok that his camp was confused over not having enough number of MLAs on his side, as “the team of 56 Congress MLAs” which he thought was on his side was hobnobbing with the camp of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

In response, Mr. Shivakumar said, “Political decisions are not made on the basis of numbers. In both our parties, we have seen that the decisions are made by the party … and not the (arithmetical) strength of MLAs. We have seen how Chief Ministers and even Cabinets were changed in your party (BJP).”

Referring to the adage “Politics is the art of the possible”, he said, “I believe one man with courage makes a majority. With conviction and determination, one can have 140 MLAs and even more. Let’s see what happens in 2028 (Assembly polls).”

The issue came up when Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, during his reply to the debate on motion of thanks to the Governor’s address, told the Deputy Chief Minister that the BJP was accusing them of harbouring enmity. “They say that you are milk (haalu) and I am sugar, but there is haalaahala (poison that emerged during the mythological churning of ocean) between us.”

Responding to this, Mr. Shivakumar only said, “Time will answer everything.”

Taking a cue from this, Mr. Ashok speculated that the Deputy Chief Minister was now confused over getting enough number of MLAs to support him. He further said, “Nowadays, his social media posts have left everyone confused as they hint at multiple meanings.”

Mr. Shivakumar responded with, “All 139 MLAs, including Mr. Siddaramaiah, are my strength. Mr. Siddaramaiah is with me 100%. Let there be no doubt about it. We are working together and we will continue to do so in the future. I have stood by him in his tough times and will continue to do so. He will stand by me during my tough times. Let there be no doubt in this regard.”

On a philosophical note, he said, “I have seen and survived many highs and lows in politics, including being in jail. I will complete six years as KPCC president next month.”