Bengaluru: Karnataka Energy Minister D K Shivakumar, who was playing the role of a ‘trusted shepherd’ of the Congress high-command and political secretary of Sonia Gandhi, Ahmed Patel in guarding the ‘flock’ of over 40 Gujarat Congress MLA’s and IT raids on whose residence and premises here today brought him to lime-light again is deemed as one of the richest politicians in the country.

Hailing from politically dominant Vokkalinga community in Karnataka, Shivakumar (55) had in the past also been accused of involvement in illegal mining activities and land encroachments in his home district of Ramnagaram. The Karnataka High Court had also issued notices to him and his family members in this regard.

A 2016 report of the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) on crorepati ministers in the states put Shivakumar at the second place with assets worth Rs 251 crore. In 2013 Karanataka Assembly polls, as a contestant from Kanakpura constituency he was also among one of the richest candidates. His property had reportedly seen an increase of over 100 crore from 2008 to 2013.

Shivakumar was active in politics since his student days and became the General Secretary of Karnataka State Youth Congress in 1983-85. He shot to lime-light first owing to his candidature against former prime minister H D Deve Gowda. In 1985 he contested against Gowda from the then Sathanur segment as a Congress candidate but lost. Later when Gowda left the seat and kept the Holenarsipur seat from where also he had contested and won simultaneously, Shivkumar won the Sathanur by-polls. In the 1989 Lok Sabha election, Shivakumar again contested against Gowda from Kanakapura constituency and lost again. In 1994 Assembly polls, he lost to Gowda’s son HD Kumaraswamy in Sathanur Assembly constituency. In 2013 Assembly elections, Shivakumar won from the Kanakapura constituency.

His brother D K Suresh is a Loksabha MP from Bengaluru Rural seat.

Reportedly large amount of cash (around 11 crores as per unconfirmed reports) has been recovered during the raids on his residence and other 38 places associated with him.

DeshGujarat