Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, AICC secretary Mansoor Ali Khan, minister NS Boseraju are among a host of Karnataka Congress leaders who helped party win Telangana.
Published Dec 12, 2023 | 12:00 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 12, 2023 | 12:00 PM
DK Shivakumar in Telangana. (X)
From quelling dissent in the party to consolidating the minorities’ vote bank, from reading the pulse at the grassroots to funding campaigns, leaders of the Karnataka unit of the Congress were firmly behind the party’s success in the recently-concluded Telangana Assembly elections.
Playing key roles entrusted to them from the grassroots level to the management of strategy and campaign, these leaders helped the Congress defeat the BRS — led by the Telangana statehood movement icon K Chandrashekar Rao — and delivered the state in what was never an easy election for the party.
Back in Karnataka, with the Congress government settling down to business in neighbouring Telangana, these key leaders shared with South First their experience of running the Telangana poll campaign.
The All-India Congress Committee (AICC) leadership deployed at least 40 MLAs and half of the Cabinet from Karnataka to campaign for the 30 November Telangana Assembly polls, entrusting them with various responsibilities.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, and ministers NS Boseraju, KJ George, Zameer Ahmed Khan, Rahim Khan, Dr Sharanaprakash Patil, Priyank Kharge, and AICC secretary Mansoor Khan were among the many leaders from the state who took part in campaigning in the neighbouring state.
The result was the Congress — in alliance with the CPI — dethroned the BRS government by winning 65 seats out of the 119 seats in the Assembly.
The BRS settled for 39 seats, while the BJP won eight seats and the AIMIM retained its seven seats.
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) chief and Kodangal MLA Revanth Reddy took oath as the second chief minister of Telangana on 7 December. Another 11 MLAs took oath as Cabinet ministers with him.
Brimming with the pride of dethroning the BJP in Karnataka in the Assembly elections in May, the AICC’s central leadership assigned the state’s leaders the task of handing a similar defeat to the BRS in the Telangana Assembly polls.
From quelling dissent in the cadre to chalking out strategies to consolidating the voter base to campaigning to funding, several jobs were assigned to these leaders.
Karnataka Minister for Minor Irrigation and Science and Technology NS Boseraju has been appointed as the AICC special observer for Telangana elections. (Supplied)
Ministers NS Boseraju, Zameer Ahmed Khan, and Sharanprakash as well as AICC secretary Mansoor Khan camped for weeks and involved themselves in the various aspects of poll-related activities in the neighbouring state.
Shedding light on his role in Telangana Assembly polls, Karnataka Minister for Minor Irrigation and Science and Technology NS Boseraju told South First: “I would like to make it very clear that it was a collective effort and not about how Karnataka and Maharashtra leaders played a role in ensuring stellar victory for the party in the Telangana Assembly polls. The credit goes to everyone.”
He recalled: “The high command entrusted me with a specific responsibility — to address dissent and achieve unity and coordination — considering my previous stint in Telangana. Soon after the candidates were announced, there were at least four-five disgruntled leaders in most of the segments. Convincing them was a herculean task for us.”
Boseraju explained: “With the help of the central leadership, I succeeded in quelling discord [within the Telangana Congress] and achieving unity and coordination. The unhappy leaders were promised good posts and positions — either in the government or the party. Everyone agreed and worked for the success of the Congress.”
He added: “Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar, and other leaders from Karnataka were not just confined to campaigning: They also took part in chalking out strategy in the polls. Zameer Ahmed Khan and other minority leaders played a key role in mobilising the minority votes.”
He also pointed out: “The Congress roped in former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan to campaign in the border areas of Telangana. The Karnataka leaders campaigned extensively in the border areas as well, which boosted the party’s morale, resulting in a thumping victory.”
AICC secretary Mansoor Khan, who had camped for over six months in Telangana, told South First: “The AICC’s Telangana in-charge Manikrao Thakare played a vital role. Six months before the polls, nobody had given a thought to the Congress in Telangana.”
So, what changed? Khan said events like the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Revanth Reddy’s Hath Se Hath Jodo and Bhatti Vikramarka’s padayatra “created an atmosphere in favour of the Congress”.
He added: “The high command appointed regional in-charges, and more senior leaders from Karnataka and Maharashtra were roped in. With regard to the minority’s votes, there was a different voting pattern in urban and rural areas.”
Khan continued: “The central leadership entrusted the task of highlighting the failures of the BRS government to the party leaders. The KCR government promised to increase minorities’ reservation from 4 percent to 12 percent, but they could not deliver it and seized Waqf records as well.”
He also pointed out: “In the previous polls, Muslims voted out of fear of the BRS. Muslims will never vote for the BJP, and BRS did not raise its voice against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). It also supported the BJP in Presidential elections.”
Khan went on to explain: “We prepared a good strategy to gain the support of the minorities. Leaders such as Zameer Ahmed Khan and Rajya Sabha member K Imran Pratapgarhi campaigned extensively to consolidate the minority votes.”
But that was not all. Khan said: “Importantly, the local leaders displayed unity. The Congress was able to script history because of collective effort.”
DK Shivakumar in Telangana on Saturday, 28 October, 2023. (Supplied)
A lot of discussion is taking place about the role of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief DK Shivakumar.
Under the headship of Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, the Congress emerged victorious in the Karnataka Assembly polls.
Shivakumar, popularly called a troubleshooter for his propensity to come to the aid of the party whenever it is in trouble, was also given a task for the Telangana Assembly polls.
Boseraju told South First: “Shivakumar definitely played a key role. We cannot disclose how he helped the cadre in Telangana. When it comes to funding, most of the candidates arranged it for themselves. The party came to the aid of around 20 percent of the candidates.”
He added: “The BJP and the BRS showered money on voters, but Congress did not. The leaders here are self-sufficient and there were no financial issues during the polls. Shivakumar helped the cadre in all ways possible.”
Interestingly, sources in the party told South First: “In a bid to quell dissent in the cadre, Shivakumar offered business opportunities in Karnataka and Telangana to the disgruntled leaders.”
