BENGALURU, 19 JUNE

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday did not rule out the possibility of contesting the Channapatna Assembly bypoll, as he maintained that he would have to abide by the "decision" of the party and voters of the segment.

"Channapatna is in my heart. Channapatna is also the place that gave me political birth," Shivakumar, also the State Congress chief, told reporters ahead of his visit to the town in the neighbouring Ramanagara district.

Channapatna bypoll is necessitated as the seat fell vacant following the election of its representative -- JD(S) leader and now Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy -- to Lok Sabha in the recent elections. The byelection schedule for this Assembly seat is yet to be announced by the Election Commission.

Asked whether his brother and former MP DK Suresh will be contesting from Channapatna, he said: "that is not decided. More or less, I'm asking the votes for myself."

Though there were talks earlier that Suresh, who lost from Bengaluru Rural Lok Sabha segment in the recent elections, may be fielded in Channapatna, speculations are now rife in political circles, especially the grand old party, that Shivakumar may enter the fray to avenge his brother's defeat and to re-establish his clout in the region.

According to sources, if Shivakumar contests and wins from Channapatna, he may vacate the Kanakapura Assembly seat that he currently represents for Suresh. PTI