Kanakapura, 6 July

Praising Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar for his efforts to strengthen the party in the State, Rambapuri seer Sri Rajadeshikendra Shivacharya said that he deserved a higher position after the last elections.

Speaking at an event organised to inaugurate the steps at the Siddeshwaraswamy hills in Kanakapura taluk, he said, "He should have got a higher position after the last elections. May he get a higher position in the days to come."

"The people of Karnataka are aware of his hard work in securing a sweeping majority for the party in the State. Political leaders will be respected if they respect the arrangement they had," he said.

Shivacharya claimed that Congress leaders themselves were unhappy with development projects in the State.

“Asking Shivakumar to relinquish the KPCC Presidency until he becomes the CM is not a very principled approach by the senior leaders,” he added. “It is important that the national leaders clear the air, there is no point of other leaders making statements about it. People must keep their word in politics. We all have seen what happened with the BJP in the past," he said.

However, Shivakumar denounced the claims, saying, “Why should I talk about it openly. It is between me and my party. We are all working together in the party.”