{"id":27296,"date":"2026-01-08T16:04:39","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T16:04:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/08\/i-dont-have-any-option-shivakumar-on-being-appointed-congress-observer-for-assam-elections-politics-news\/"},"modified":"2026-01-08T16:04:39","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T16:04:39","slug":"i-dont-have-any-option-shivakumar-on-being-appointed-congress-observer-for-assam-elections-politics-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/08\/i-dont-have-any-option-shivakumar-on-being-appointed-congress-observer-for-assam-elections-politics-news\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;I Don&#8217;t Have Any Option&#8217;: Shivakumar On Being Appointed Congress Observer For Assam Elections | Politics News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"story-9818579\">\n<p><span class=\"jsx-395e0e0beb19cb6e jsx-3759419209\">Last Updated:<\/span><time class=\"jsx-395e0e0beb19cb6e jsx-3759419209\">January 08, 2026, 21:24 IST<\/time><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"asubttl-9818579\" class=\"jsx-ee90caf6118df965 jsx-3902428318 asubttl-schema\">Shivakumar, ex-Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Jharkhand ex-MLA Bandhu Tirkey were appointed as Congress observers for the Assam elections.<\/h2>\n<div id=\"artshare\" class=\"jsx-ea217851d88955e2 artshare\">\n<div class=\"jsx-ea217851d88955e2 stickdiv\">\n<div class=\"jsx-ea217851d88955e2 deskwrapstkdiv\">\n<div class=\"jsx-ea217851d88955e2 fontchange\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.news18.com\/dlxczavtqcctuei\/news18\/static\/images\/english\/font.svg\" height=\"30px\" width=\"30px\" alt=\"font\" title=\"font\" class=\"jsx-ea217851d88955e2 lazyload\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"jsx-ea217851d88955e2 artsharwrp\"><a href=\"https:\/\/web.whatsapp.com\/send?text='I%20Don't%20Have%20Any%20Option'%3A%20Shivakumar%20On%20Being%20Appointed%20Congress%20Observer%20For%20Assam%20Elections - %0D%0Ahttps:\/\/www.news18.com\/politics\/i-dont-have-any-option-shivakumar-on-being-appointed-congress-observer-for-assam-elections-ws-kl-9818579.html%3Futm_source%3Dwhatsapp%26utm_medium%3Dsocial_share%26utm_campaign%3Dnw18english%0D%0A %0D%0A Get the latest news anytime, anywhere. Install News18 app for free! %0D%0Ahttps:\/\/onelink.to\/website-share-eng\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"jsx-ea217851d88955e2 sclrnd wapp social_share\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"jsx-ea217851d88955e2 notifycnt social_share\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.news18.com\/dlxczavtqcctuei\/news18\/static\/images\/english\/new_share_icon.svg\" alt=\"new share icon\" title=\"new share icon\" width=\"8\" height=\"9\" class=\"jsx-ea217851d88955e2 social_share\"\/><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.news18.com\/dlxczavtqcctuei\/news18\/static\/images\/english\/new_whatsapp_icon.svg\" alt=\"new whatsapp icon\" title=\"new whatsapp icon\" width=\"21\" height=\"22\" class=\"jsx-ea217851d88955e2 social_share\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"jsx-ee90caf6118df965 jsx-3902428318\">\n<figure class=\"jsx-ee90caf6118df965 jsx-3902428318 amimg\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar\" title=\"Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar\" src=\"https:\/\/images.news18.com\/ibnlive\/uploads\/2021\/07\/1627283897_news18_logo-1200x800.jpg?impolicy=website&amp;width=400&amp;height=225\" loading=\"eager\" fetchpriority=\"high\" class=\"jsx-ee90caf6118df965 jsx-3902428318\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"0\" class=\"story_para_0\">In his first reaction since being appointed as Congress\u2019s observer for the upcoming Assam Elections, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Thursday said he had no option and had to comply with the party\u2019s diktats, being a Congressman.<\/p>\n<p id=\"1\" class=\"story_para_1\">Shivakumar, ex-Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Jharkhand ex-MLA Bandhu Tirkey were appointed on Wednesday by the Congress as the party\u2019s senior observers for the Assam Assembly elections this year, where the party is taking on the incumbent Himanta Biswa Sarma-led BJP government.<\/p>\n<p id=\"2\" class=\"story_para_2\">\u201cI don\u2019t have any option. Whatever the party tells us to do, we have to do it. That is what being a Congressman means. I have seen the AICC press release. They have asked me to look after Assam. I had been to Assam earlier as well, long ago, and now they want me there again. I will be going,&#8221; Shivakumar, who is also the Karnataka Congress President, told reporters.<\/p>\n<p id=\"3\" class=\"story_para_3\">Shivakumar\u2019s new role comes amid a power tussle in Karnataka, as he is widely seen as a claimant for the chief minister\u2019s post. The internal debate within the ruling Congress has intensified after the government crossed the halfway point of its five-year term on November 20.<\/p>\n<p id=\"4\" class=\"story_para_4\">Speculation around a leadership change has been linked to the reported power-sharing agreement between the two leaders when the Congress came to power in 2023, under which Siddaramaiah was supposed to serve as Chief Minister for 2.5 years, while Shivakumar was supposed to serve at the top post for the remainder of the Congress term.<\/p>\n<p id=\"5\" class=\"story_para_5\">Congress picking Shivakumar for the Assam assignment has set off a buzz in the political circles of the southern state. The decision was announced by AICC general secretary KC Venugopal while unveiling observer teams for five states and Union Territories, Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, that are scheduled to go to the polls in the first half of the year.<\/p>\n<p id=\"6\" class=\"story_para_6\">The appointment of Baghel and Shivakumar as observers came soon after Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was made the chairperson of the Assam Screening Committee, as the party hopes to end the 10-year BJP rule.<\/p>\n<p id=\"7\" class=\"story_para_7\">Elections to 126 constituencies in Assam are likely to take place in March-April. Last month, the Congress, CPI(M), Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), CPI, CPI(ML) Liberation, Jatiya Dal-Asom (JDA) and the Karbi Anglong-based All Party Hill Leaders Conference (APHLC) announced an alliance to jointly contest the polls.<\/p>\n<p id=\"8\" class=\"story_para_8\"><em>(with inputs from PTI)<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"jsx-ee90caf6118df965 jsx-3902428318 atbtlink fp\"><span>First Published:<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"rs\">\n<p>January 08, 2026, 21:24 IST<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"jsx-ee90caf6118df965 jsx-3902428318 brdcrmb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/\">News<\/a>  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/politics\/\">politics<\/a>  <span class=\"brdout\"> &#8216;I Don&#8217;t Have Any Option&#8217;: Shivakumar On Being Appointed Congress Observer For Assam Elections<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"coral-wrap\" class=\"jsx-ba4d8f086a12294f \">\n<div class=\"jsx-ba4d8f086a12294f coral-cont\">\n<div class=\"jsx-ba4d8f086a12294f coltoptxt\">Disclaimer: Comments reflect users\u2019 views, not News18\u2019s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/disclaimer\/\" class=\"jsx-ba4d8f086a12294f\">Terms of Use<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/privacy_policy\/\" class=\"jsx-ba4d8f086a12294f\">Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"jsx-ee90caf6118df965 jsx-3902428318 rmbtn news18_read_more\">Read More<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/politics\/i-dont-have-any-option-shivakumar-on-being-appointed-congress-observer-for-assam-elections-ws-kl-9818579.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last Updated:January 08, 2026, 21:24 IST Shivakumar, ex-Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Jharkhand ex-MLA Bandhu Tirkey were appointed as Congress observers for the Assam elections. Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar In his first reaction since being appointed as Congress\u2019s observer for the upcoming Assam Elections, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Thursday said&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":987,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27296","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27296","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27296"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27296\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/987"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27296"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27296"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27296"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}