Against the backdrop of the hills surrounding Kanakapura in Bengaluru South district, tethered balloons bearing the faces of State Congress leaders soared in the sky, welcoming visitors with congratulatory messages for D.K. Shivakumar.
A festive atmosphere gripped Kanakapura and the nearby villages on Wednesday (June 3) as their local man, Mr. Shivakumar, popularly known as ‘Kanakapurada Bande’, was sworn in as Chief Minister.
The streets were flooded with banners and flexes carrying congratulatory messages for Mr. Shivakumar. Supporters intercepted nearly every vehicle travelling on Kanakapura Road to distribute sweets, and in no house across the region, especially in Doddalahalli, where the new Chief Minister hails from, were televisions switched off.
“The feeling of one of our own rising to the position of leading the State is no less than being in that chair ourselves. We have watched him grow, and today he has made us all proud,” — said K. Timmaiah, a resident of Doddalahalli.
En route to Bengaluru
In contrast, hundreds of people wanted to catch a glimpse of their leader in person as Chief Minister and had therefore made travel arrangements to Bengaluru.
Srinivas K.T., a resident of Kodihalli, said, “More than 500 people are travelling to Bengaluru by bus, and all of us will get down at Challaghatta, where arrangements have been made for a non-vegetarian lunch for the supporters. After that, we will go and see our leader.”
When asked whether Mr. Shivakumar had not directed them not to visit Bengaluru, Mr. Srinivas said, “We’ll try our luck and see. We don’t know when we will get the same opportunity again.”
Man of temples
Mr. Shivakumar’s devotional beliefs are no secret. However, what many do not know, according to villagers, is that the Congress leader has helped build at least 10 temples within the limits of the Kodihalli panchayat alone. On Wednesday, all these temples conducted special poojas for Mr. Shivakumar. Temples in Kanakapura also made extensive food arrangements for devotees.
Interestingly, most villages in the region had put up small makeshift tents displaying pictures of both Mr. Shivakumar and his brother, Mr. Suresh.
“Mr. Shivakumar is a busy man, and hence he ensures that all works in Kanakapura are carried out through Mr. Suresh. The latter remembers the names of nearly 80% of the villagers, so a large part of Mr. Shivakumar’s success must also be credited to Mr. Suresh,” — said Mr. Timmaiah.
The oath moment
Arrangements were made at multiple junctions with LED screens so that villagers could watch the oath-taking ceremony in groups. The largest among them was set up at Channabasappa Circle in Kanakapura town, where hundreds of supporters gathered.
When Mr. Shivakumar began taking the oath, slogans praising him erupted, followed by the bursting of crackers. Villagers sat on the busy Kanakapura Road and watched as Mr. Shivakumar was sworn in as the Chief Minister of the State.
