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Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, and former Chief Ministers B.S. Yediyurappa, H.D. Kumaraswamy, and Basavaraj Bommai in Bengalore.

The Vokkaliga heartland politics in Old Mysore region is likely to heat up with the elevation of D.K. Shivakumar, seen as a traditional foe of Janata Dal (Secular) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda and in later years, Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy.

In the last decade, the rivalry between the two families have intensified. The Bidadi township project, initiated by Mr. Kumaraswamy but being pushed by Mr. Shivakumar currently, is expected to turn into a flashpoint.

“We are expecting Mr. Shivakumar to be aggressive, but we have the capability to meet the challenge. The party in its initial years was challenged by (former Chief Minister) S.M. Krishna too. However, we have survived tough times and we will continue to do so,” a JD(S) source told The Hindu when asked if the party felt threatened. However, the source did not rule out the possibility of the Congress trying to woo the Vokkaliga electorate/leaders siding with the party.

The JD(S), which went into an alliance with the BJP in 2023 “to protect its flock” soon after the election rout, seems to be pinning hopes on the alliance being a strong hedge against Mr. Shivakumar-led Congress onslaught.

Another source indicated that Mr. Kumaraswamy could be seen in the State more often in the coming months to protect the party interest, and also challenge the next Chief Minister. Already enough indications have been given about his return to State politics by the party leaders in public fora.

Since the defeat of Mr. Gowda at the hands of the strongman from Kanakapura in Sathanur constituency in 1989, the relationship between the two families have remained frosty. In 2004, journalist -turned politician Tejwasini Gowda backed by Mr. Shivakumar defeated Mr. Gowda in the then Kanakapura Lok Sabha constituency. Only during the 14-month JD(S)-Congress coalition led by Mr. Kumaraswamy, the relationship saw a thaw when the two were called as the “Jodetthu” (pair of bullocks).

In recent times, the pendulum has been swinging both sides. If the Congress led by Mr. Shivakumar handed JD(S) its worst defeat in Old Mysore region, including a washout in its bastion at Mandya, in the 2023 Assembly elections, the JD(S) in alliance with the BJP trounced the Congress in key Vokkaliga constituencies, including Mandya, in the 2024 general elections.

In Bengaluru Rural, the JD(S) backed the BJP to trounce Mr. Shivakumar’s brother D.K. Suresh by a huge margin that jolted the brothers.

A political analyst said, “The biggest challenge before Mr. Shivakumar in the coming months is to break the clout and popular perception of Mr. Gowda and Mr. Kumaraswamy being the Vokkaliga leaders. His outreach to the community will be keenly watched and he has to position himself as a counter magnet in Vokkaliga politics for the Congress.”

With little less than a two-year term, his moves will be keenly watched to see whether he will emerge as a tall Vokkaliga leader, said the analyst.

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