‘Can’t Forget the Day Sonia Gandhi Came to Meet Me in Jail…’: DKS Gets Emotional, Says 'Had Promised I'll Deliver in K’taka'

With the Congress poised to win the Karnataka elections, state party chief DK Shivakumar on Saturday got emotional, thanking all leaders and recalling the time when Congress leader Sonia Gandhi came to meet him in Tihar jail when he was arrested on money-laundering charges.

At 12:35pm, the saffron party was leading on 69 seats, way less than the majority mark of 113 in the 224-seat Karnataka Assembly. The Congress was leading on 125 seats, while the JDS was leading on 25.

Conceding the Bharatiya Janata Party’s defeat in Karnataka elections 2023, outgoing Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday said the party will introspect and bounce back in time for 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Shivakumar, meanwhile, got emotional. “The party cadre and all the leaders have worked hard. People have reposed faith in us. The leaders have supported us. It is collective leadership. We have worked jointly. The day I took the oath I had said joining together is the beginning, keeping together is progress. working together is success."

“I had assured Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge that I will deliver in Karnataka. I can never forget the day when Sonia Gandhi came to meet me in jail. I was put in jail by the BJP… The confidence the Gandhi family and the Congress showed in me. I thank all leaders, including Siddaramaiah, all MLAs, party officers, general secretaries…," he said as he broke down

“I will go to Ramanagara to collect my certificate and then come to party office and address you all. I have lots of things to tell."

Meanwhile, for the Congress, the real battle begins now as it faces the tough task of deciding its chief minister. So far, there are two top contenders — former chief minister and old warhorse Siddaramaiah and state Congress chief and trouble-shooter DK Shivakumar.

The comparison to Rajasthan cannot be missed when Sachin Pilot was the state Congress chief for almost four years and took the credit for the party’s win.

However, Ashok Gehlot was the former chief minister and the party felt he had the support of majority MLAs and should be made the CM with Pilot as his deputy.