I have spoken about Kerala govt’s interference and not about Keralites: DKS

Bengaluru: Clarifying that his comments were on Kerala government’s interference in Karnataka and not about Keralites, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday said BJP leader Rajeev Chandrashekar was trying to mislead people by twisting his statement.

Speaking to reporters at Vidhana Soudha, he said, “There is a cordial relationship between me and Keralites. The people of Kerala like me and I have respect for them. I will go there for election campaign and our government will be formed there. Hence BJP is trying to create confusion. Let them not indulge in this. Our party leaders have given us suggestions and we accept it.”

Referring to the meeting of Krishna Bhagya Jal Nigam at Vidhana Soudha, he said, “We are taking up works worth Rs 5000 crore. We are giving priority to land acquisition for Upper Krishna project and we need Rs 70,000 crore for this.”

Asked what his resolutions for 2026 were, he said, “Good governance is our resolution.

I pray that the state receives good rains next year too like this year.

Our guarantee schemes will continue to empower people. Local body elections will also be held next year.”

Asked if good governance would be given in 2026 under his leadership, he said, “Good governance will continue under the Congress government. The governance will continue for another 7.5 years.”

Asked about Congress MLA Iqbal Hussain’s comments on power transfer, he said his comments must not be taken into account. When insisted if his leadership could be expected in 2026, he quipped, “We will talk about it in 2026.”