With the Delhi High Court granting bail to Congress party’s troubleshooter D.K. Shivakumar in the alleged money-laundering case, party leaders and workers are preparing to give him a grand welcome in his home constituency Kanakapura.
Mr. Shivakumar’s bail, which came hours after party president Sonia Gandhi met him at Tihar Jail on Wednesday, brought much needed cheer to party workers and leaders in the State. Ms. Gandhi’s visit sent out the message that the party was with him. His release is a boost to the party ahead of the bypolls on December 5.
This is despite the fact that the legal battle for Mr. Shivakumar is long, and the Central Bureau of Investigation has also filed a case against him under Prevention of Corruption Act.
Mr. Shivakumar, who missed Ganesha festival, is expected to celebrate Deepavali with his family, relatives, friends, and loyalists. He is also expected to visit several temples, mutts and heads of community to thank them for standing by him. Several leaders of the Congress and the JD(S) called on Mr. Shivakumar when he was in Tihar Jail.
A party strongman, he was instrumental in forming the JD(S) and Congress coalition government. Owing to his arrest, the Maharashtra and Haryana Congress could not make use his services for campaign. Results of the elections in both States are to be announced on Thursday.
Meanwhile, State Congress chief Dinesh Gundu Rao and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah welcomed the court’s verdict, while loyalists of M.r Shivakumar celebrated the court’s ruling by bursting crackers and distributing sweets in Kanakapura, Ramanagaram and Belagavi.
Sources in the Congress said that Mr. Shivakumar’s availability would be a moral booster for the party’s organisation since he has immense skills to mobilise people. He is expected to return to active politics soon and galvanise party workers during the byelections to 15 Legislative Assembly constituencies, sources said. Mr. Gundu Rao said: “The Narendra Modi government made an attempt to defame Mr. Shivakumar in the eyes of the public. But today, its stand was exposed in the Delhi court.”
Mr. Shivakumar was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on September 3 and was lodged in jail. The ED is expected to challenge the the Delhi High Court’s ruling in the Supreme Court.
