A recent full-page advertorial singing praises of Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar in English daily Deccan Herald was received with much displeasure by many political leaders
The July 2 feature titled ‘A life in leadership’ containing several articles hailing Shivakumar as a ‘harbinger of change’ and columns on work done by Shivakumar during the pandemic received considerable backlash from leaders across parties who expressed their discomfort with the self-promotion of a leader over party.
Talking to The News Minute, sources in Congress said that this move was suggested and executed by the political PR company handling DK Shivakumar’s public image.
“It is normal for politicians and political parties to let people know about the work they have done” Congress spokesperson Lavanya Ballal was quoted telling TNM even as leaders erupted at the kind of blatant self-promotion displayed by the leader in the form of seven articles in the newspaper.
Emphasizing that there is no need to read too much into the ads, Lavanya Ballal added that Seva is a politician’s dharma and DKS has been merely executing it. He also stated that the party has witnessed a huge increase in the enthusiasm of the party cadre after DKS took over as the President in July 2020.
Despite Congress’s dismissing claims, sources have attributed DKS’ move to the ongoing internal rivalry to be projected as the CM face of the Congress for the 2023 Assembly elections.
“He is being praised for the work of the Congress party. Yes, as the President, many activities were undertaken by him during the pandemic but boasting about it as personal victories show his insecurities. Many leaders are uncomfortable with this,” a Congress leader told TNM.
With two camps of leaders lobbying for Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar to be announced as the CM face, a third group is now demanding for a Dalit leader to be announced.
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