Bengaluru: From the dusty lanes of Dodda Alahalli village to Karnataka's highest political office, D K Shivakumar's four-decade-long journey is marked by turbulence, triumphs and unflinching loyalty to the Congress.
Popularly called 'Kanakapura Bande' -- the granite rock of Kanakapura-- the assembly segment he represents, Shivakumar has also earned the reputation of being the Congress party's 'troubleshooter'. His first major political break came in 1985 when he contested from the Sathanur Assembly segment on a Congress ticket, though unsuccessfully. Four years later, he won from the constituency and entered the Assembly in 1989. Since then, he has won eight consecutive Assembly elections without a break.
