Leonardo da Vinci (Image: Wikipedia)

There are quotes that survive because they offer advice. Others survive because they make people stop and look at familiar things differently. This comment by Leonardo da Vinci belongs to the second group.At first glance, this seems like a technical instruction for painters. Someone unfamiliar with art might read this and assume Leonardo was simply discussing how to prepare the canvas. Yet this sentence seems bigger than that. It reflects how he saw the world.Leonardo was not a man who accepted appearances without investigation. He spent years observing water, clouds, plants, anatomy, architecture, and light. Many of his notebooks are filled with observations that seem almost obsessive in their detail. He wanted to understand why things looked the way they did.That curiosity is reflected in this quote.Instead of starting with color, brightness, or beauty, he starts with darkness. This is an amazing option. Light is the first thing most people notice. Leonardo asks us to look at what is around it.The more time spent with the quote, the less it will feel like a lesson about painting alone. It starts to feel like an observation about perception itself.

Quote of the Day by Leonardo da Vinci

“A painter must begin every canvas with black, for in nature all things are dark except where light is exposed.”

Understand the meaning behind Leonardo da Vinci’s quotes

The most direct meaning relates to the way artists create depth and realism.Leonardo is pointing out that objects are not naturally bright from all sides. Light reaches only certain surfaces. The remaining part remains in partial shade. A painter who understands this relationship can create a more solid image.But this quote becomes even more interesting when considered beyond technology.What Leonardo is saying is that light only matters because darkness exists around it. If everything were equally lit, nothing would look different. There would be no contrast, no focus and little sense of form.The eye notices brightness because it appears in front of something darker.That simple observation sits at the center of the quote.

Leonardo spent years studying how people see

One reason this statement is important is that it comes from a man who has paid extraordinary attention to observation.Leonardo was not only interested in creating attractive paintings. He wanted to understand the vision itself.Continuing questions about light, reflection and perspective appear in his notebooks. He investigated how shadows changed during the day. He studied how distance changed appearance. He carefully observed the boundaries where darkness gradually changed into light.This may seem obvious to modern readers. For Leonardo, this was part of a larger investigation.Painting became a way to study reality.This quote reflects the habit of looking closely at things that others may overlook.

Darkness is not the opposite of beauty in quotes

Modern culture often perceives darkness negatively.Darkness becomes associated with absence, uncertainty, or something that should be avoided. Meanwhile, light is generally presented as positive.Leonardo’s quote does not follow that pattern.In his observation, darkness is not a problem waiting to be lifted. It’s part of what allows beauty to exist in the first place. There is no depth without shadow. There is no form without contrast.A mountain illuminated by sunlight appears dramatic as the valleys and slopes remain dark. A face becomes expressive as some features come to light while others recede.This quote views darkness as necessary rather than undesirable.That small change changes the look of the entire statement.

Great artists pay attention to often neglected details

Many artistic successes begin by paying attention to something simple.A reflection in water. A shadow on a wall. The way light enters the room at a particular time.These are not dramatic discoveries. Most people see them every day without thinking much.Artists often do the opposite.They remain under observation for a longer period of time. They examine it from different angles. They become interested in the details of what others go through.Leonardo was famous for this habit.This quote reflects the mindset of someone who observed simple things carefully for years until they revealed something profound.

This statement works beyond the world of painting

One reason the quote continues to circulate is that readers often find meanings that go beyond the art.People naturally think through paradoxes.A person cannot fully appreciate peace unless he experiences stress. Success often feels different after disappointment. Even ordinary moments take on significance compared to more difficult moments.The structure of Leonardo’s observations fits that pattern.Light appears because a shadow is present nearby.Many readers apply the same logic to experiences beyond painting. The quote never explicitly encourages this interpretation, yet it seems to invite it.That openness has helped keep the line alive for centuries.

Renaissance thinking linked art and observation

During Leonardo’s lifetime, art and scientific observation were often closely linked.Artists studied anatomy to depict the human body more accurately. He discovered geometry to understand perspective. He observed nature because nature provided answers that books sometimes could not.Leonardo moved more freely between these worlds than most people of his era.Today he is remembered as a painter, inventor and thinker.The quote reflects that mix of interests.This sounds like artistic advice, but it stems from observation rather than theory. Leonardo is describing what he believed nature to actually look like.That commitment to observation shaped much of his work.

Modern visual culture still depends on the same idea

Technology has changed dramatically since the Renaissance, but the relationship between light and shadow remains important.Photographers use contrast to attract attention. Filmmakers rely on lighting to create mood. Designers think carefully about brightness and darkness when creating a visual experience.Even people taking photos on phones often respond intuitively to these principles without knowing their history.The picture becomes more attractive when contrast is present. Some details come to light as others remain suppressed.The language has changed. The equipment has changed.The underlying idea is surprisingly similar.

Why does the quote still feel relevant?

Many historical quotes are stuck in the period that produced them. Not this one.Part of its appeal comes from the fact that it starts with something solid. Anyone can understand the image of a dark canvas and a source of light.From there, the quote gradually opens up into larger questions about attention and perception.What do people notice first? What lies hidden in the background? How does contrast shape understanding?Leonardo never answers these questions directly. He simply presents an observation and leaves the readers to think about it.Perhaps that is why this quote continued to attract attention long after the world that coined it had disappeared.A sentence about paint becomes a reflection on vision.A comment about shadows becomes a way to think about the things that make light visible.And perhaps that’s what Leonardo did best. He observed ordinary things so closely that they ceased to seem ordinary.

Other famous quotes from Leonardo da Vinci

New Delhi: Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez arrived in India on Wednesday on a five-day visit to expand energy cooperation, as New Delhi looks to diversify its crude purchases amid supply disruptions from the West Asia crisis.Apart from energy, both sides are also ready to explore ways to enhance cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, pharmaceuticals and technology.Rodriguez is scheduled to hold extensive talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on social media, “Acting President of Venezuela Delsey Rodriguez is warmly welcomed on her arrival in New Delhi.”“This visit will further deepen India-Venezuela relations and add momentum to the bilateral partnership.”Rodriguez took over as acting president of Venezuela after U.S. forces detained then-President Nicolas Maduro in January.India was once a major processor of Venezuelan heavy crude, importing more than 4,00,000 barrels per day at its peak, until US sanctions and rising compliance risks forced purchases to end in 2020.New Delhi started buying crude oil from Venezuela after sanctions were lifted following Maduro’s capture. Indian oil marketing companies have significantly increased supplies of crude oil from Venezuela in the last few weeks due to the crisis in West Asia.The Acting President of Venezuela is accompanied by a number of ministers, including the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Economy and Finance, Science and Technology, Communications and Information, and Transport.The Venezuelan delegation will visit several sites in the energy, pharmaceuticals and auto sectors to gain insight into India’s technological and industrial capabilities and explore opportunities for collaboration.India and Venezuela have a history of cordial relations. The state visit of former President Hugo Chavez to India in March 2005 gave a major boost to bilateral relations.There is strong cooperation in the energy sector between the two countries.ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL) has a joint venture with Corporación Venezolana del Petroleo (CVP).The joint venture for oil production and exploration in the San Cristóbal area is known as “Petrolerindovenezolana SA”, in which OVL has a 40 percent stake.

A few years ago, social media was mostly a place to make new connections and share moments from your life. Fast forward to the present timeline, where it often feels like a giant performance stage where everyone is expected to look their best. Influencers and their vigorous morning routines, picture-perfect homes, weekly trips abroad, etc. have quietly redefined what many consider ‘normal’.But what is the matter? What’s normal online isn’t always realistic, affordable, or even necessary in real life. Amid all these trends, more and more women are starting to ask the bigger question: Are these choices really our own, or have social media quietly convinced us that they should? We spoke to women across age groups and professions who opened up about the online trends they feel have become unnecessarily normalised.

“The whole world has gone to the mountains except me.”

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Social media has made it almost necessary for people to document everything that happens to them 24/7. Vacations, workouts, sleeplessness or even hospital visits belong on your Instagram stories. However, all this creates FOMO and a kind of jealousy in people. For 25-year-old Anushka, who lives in Noida, these frequent distant postings make her feel somewhat jealous and sad. “It feels like the whole world has gone to the hills except me,” she says. She adds, “I reach home after my office shift and when I scroll through my Insta feed, it’s full of people posting pictures from Himachal or Uttarakhand. I feel jealous of those people. They’re going on trips every month. I want to go too.” But most people need to understand that not everything on social media is completely true. Moreover, it is not practical for everyone to go on a trip every month. So, stop feeling like this is normal.

“I doubted my relationship because of social media”

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Surprise luxury gifts, over-the-top proposals, perfectly coordinated couple content, etc. on social media present relationships as one long highlight reel. Sneha (26) admits that such content once made her doubt her relationship. “I would see couples posting Insta Reels every other day and wonder if there was really something missing in my life. I was doubting my relationship. “Then I reminded myself that no one posts arguments, stress, or slow Tuesday evenings,” she adds. Many women like her believe that influencer-style relationships set expectations that leave viewers quietly dissatisfied with perfectly healthy, normal partnerships.

“You can’t style your hair every day!”

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Social media can also present influencers with great hair every time they appear. No matter what the hairstyle, their hair looks the same 24/7. Delhi-based journalist Manisha Gupta says, “Wolf cut, pixie cut, or bob; trust me, these hairstyles will rarely look good unless you style your hair every day… I’ve seen many influencers promoting these hairstyles like crazy, and personally I’ve tried a few of them myself.She adds, “But trust me, there is no guarantee that they will look the same in real life because you can’t style your hair every day! Sometimes you just want to get up, get dressed, and go.”

Pressure to always look ‘camera-ready’

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Flawless skin, stylish outfits, neat nails, impressive beauty silently suggests that women should look put together at all times. Anjali, 24, a Delhi-based corporate employee, says this expectation has gradually eroded her confidence. “I started to feel bad looking tired after a full day’s work. Then it hit me, most influencers are filming under professional lighting, filters and carefully chosen angles. Real life should never have looked like this.Experts have also noted that exposure to idealized images over a period of time can change our perception of what normal appearance actually looks like.

Making productivity a personality

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Wake up at 5 am, meditate, exercise, read, work out, go for a short run, network and start again. The Internet’s obsession with productivity has led many women to believe that every waking hour must be utilized. 24-year-old Srishti says she ultimately failed in her efforts to keep up with productivity influencers. “When I relax, I start to feel like I’m failing or lagging behind everyone else. It’s like a big race. Social media reassures me that I need to constantly grow and improve.“But this is certainly not the norm. Increasingly, women say they are pushing back against the idea that they need to achieve something nonstop in order to be considered worthy.

Over sharing of personal life for likes and attention

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Influencers often grow their audiences by sharing intimate details like relationship troubles, family disputes, pregnancies, breakups, and personal crises. But not everyone sees this as a positive development. Experts say constantly seeking approval from strangers online can be emotionally draining. Many women believe that social platforms are rewarding those who share the most, even though choosing privacy would clearly be a healthy decision.What makes influencer culture so effective is that it routinely disguises marketing as an aspiration. Most trends are tied to products, services or lifestyles being quietly sold to audiences. The result is a cycle that leads women to spend more, compare more, customize more, and share more. However, women across generations are becoming more thoughtful about who they follow, ditching accounts that promote comparison, and gravitating toward creators who show real, imperfect, unfiltered lives.Images Courtesy: Google Gemini

According to Danielle Goldman, CEO and co-founder of Build, the proposed change in US student visa rules could make it more difficult for international graduates, especially Indians, to stay and work in the US after completing their studies. According to American Market, Goldman warned that the proposal could worsen the labor shortage in key sectors such as AI, technology and engineering by reducing the pathways that many international students currently use to stay and pursue careers in the country.The concerns center on a proposal issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) last month. Under the current system, most international students on F-1 visas are admitted under a policy called “duration of status”, which allows them to remain in the US as long as they maintain their student status and meet visa requirements.The proposed rule would replace that arrangement with a fixed term of up to four years. Students who need more time to complete their studies or participate in postgraduate work programs must seek approval from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).Speaking about the potential impact, Goldman said Indian students could be among the most affected groups as they are one of the largest international student communities in the US and participate heavily in it. H-1B visa System.“Indian students are one of the largest student populations in the United States,” Goldman said.She said: “They’re getting jobs, they’re working through school, they’re getting companies to say, ‘Yes, we’ll sponsor you,’ and they’re entering the H-1B lottery at a very high rate.”Many international graduates use the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program to gain work experience after university. During this period, employers often invest in training and developing talent while sponsoring workers for the H-1B visa lottery.However, not all applicants are selected. Goldman said many companies rely on alternative options to retain traditionally skilled workers when H-1B sponsorship efforts fail.One of the most common routes has been the Day 1 CPT program, which allows some students to continue working legally while enrolled in another academic course. According to Goldman, major employers often encourage workers to use this option if they are unsuccessful in obtaining an H-1B visa.He believes the proposed rule would restrict that route.Under the new framework, students who have already completed a degree at a certain academic level will generally be unable to enroll in another program at the same level in order to maintain work authorization.“Someone who already has a master’s degree won’t be able to go back and say, ‘I need another master’s degree because I need work authorization to continue working,'” Goldman said.Instead, some workers may have to obtain higher qualifications, such as a doctoral degree, to remain eligible to remain in the country.He said: “It’s not fair to people. When they’re a data scientist and they’re using machine learning every day and they already have a master’s degree, they don’t want to sign up for a five-year PhD program.”Goldman warned that thousands of highly skilled workers, including many Indian citizens who have repeatedly missed out on the H-1B lottery, could be left looking for alternative immigration options.He also suggested that if the proposal goes ahead, major employers may need to rethink how they retain international talent.“Amazon and Meta and a lot of these companies that relied on that solution to retain their talent during the OPT period may no longer be able to do that, and they’re going to have to think about solutions,” Goldman said.

Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Rajat Patidar (AP Photo)

Rajat Patidaremerged as one of the most influential figures in IPL Even in 2026, he led Royal Challengers Bangalore to their second consecutive title. The RCB skipper not only led the franchise from the front but also played a vital role with the bat, helping his team successfully defend the crown they won a year ago.Patidar enjoyed another excellent season in the middle order, scoring 501 runs at a remarkable strike rate of 192.69. Time and again, he has performed well in pressure situations, whether stabilizing the innings after early wickets fell or leading the counterattack when RCB needed quick runs.Despite those contributions, the former Australia captain michael clarke He believes that Patidar’s performances did not get the recognition they deserved.Speaking on the Beyond23 Cricket Podcast, Clarke described the RCB skipper as one of the most underrated players of IPL 2026, arguing that his presence Virat Kohli This often means that other key contributors are given less attention.Clarke said, “Patidar has been brilliant again in the tournament and he is my player. With Virat Kohli in the team, he will always be the most talked about player. But Patidar has done an extraordinary job with the way he has led and got the best out of all his players. His own performance while batting in a difficult middle order has been brilliant.”Patidar’s leadership skills have grown significantly in the last two seasons. Under his captaincy, RCB turned into a team that chased a title for years and has now won consecutive championships.For Clarke, those achievements should give the 31-year-old a firm place in the discussion about India’s T20 team.He said, “Although he is 31 years old, he deserves to be talked about in the Indian T20 team. I don’t know whether he will captain India or not, but he has leadership qualities. His middle-order batting has been amazing. Batting at No. 4 in T20 is the toughest position and he comes into this position and explodes.”The former Australian captain believes that Patidar’s importance goes beyond his batting. According to Clarke, captaining a team to consecutive IPL titles is an achievement that selectors cannot easily ignore.While competition for places in Indian cricket remains intense, Clarke feels Patidar has done enough to put himself at the forefront of white-ball opportunities.“There is a lot of talent in India at the moment, and many of them are fighting to get into the Indian team this IPL. But if you captain a team that consistently wins IPL tournaments, then the BCCI and the Indian selectors will definitely be talking about him. His name should be at the front of the queue in T20 and he can also be considered for ODI cricket,” Clarke said.With 501 runs, a strike rate close to 200 and another IPL trophy as captain, Patidar’s case has certainly become difficult to ignore. It remains to be seen whether this translates into an India comeback, but Clarke believes the RCB skipper has earned the right to be part of that conversation.

Mamata Banerjee addresses first protest rally at Esplanade, Kolkata after losing 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections

New Delhi: Trinamool means “grassroots” – the name chosen by Mamata Banerjee When he founded the party in 1998, it was to present it as a grassroots-driven movement. But on Wednesday, the palace that Mamata built over two decades seemed weak and perhaps facing its biggest crisis.In an unprecedented revolt, which has drawn parallels with the breakaway of Shiv Sena in 2022, 58 rebel TMC MLAs led by expelled leader Ritabrata Banerjee claimed control. Trinamool Congress The legislature party alleged that they had obtained recognition from Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose. This rebellion took place a month after the election results were declared in West Bengal. The then CM Mamata had claimed that her party would win 226 seats (it won 80 seats). While the dissidents have been accepting Mamata Banerjee as their leader, they have openly rejected her nephew’s authority in the functioning of the legislature party.

As the crisis unfolded, the party dissolved all its committees across West Bengal, senior leader Firhad Hakim accepted resignation as Kolkata mayor, and the Enforcement Directorate summoned Abhishek Banerjee in its probe into the teacher recruitment scam. Overall, these developments show that the TMC is grappling with challenges on multiple fronts and perhaps facing the most turbulent moment in its history.

Here are the latest developments:

Rebels claim majority

The Trinamool Congress was plunged into its deepest crisis since its formation on Wednesday when most of its MLAs staged a dramatic rebellion, threatening a split from within the party. Expelled TMC leader Ritabrata Banerjee claimed that 58 MLAs have supported him as the new leader of the opposition and Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose has accepted the dissident camp’s claim.The dissident camp presented letters of support from 58 MLAs before the Speaker, easily crossing the two-thirds mark required under anti-defection provisions.Ritabrata Banerjee told reporters after meeting the Speaker, “The Speaker has accepted our claim.”

Claiming legitimacy on the basis of numbers, he said, “TMC legislative party is a team of 58 MLAs who won on the TMC election symbol. We are now the real TMC in the Assembly.”The Speaker’s approval effectively formalized the first split in the TMC’s 28-year history.Rebel’s unveiling of leadership teamFollowing the recognition of the rebel group, the dissidents announced a new leadership structure. Ritabrata Banerjee was named Leader of the Opposition, while Akhruzzaman was appointed Chief Whip.Senior MLAs Javed Ahmed Khan, Sandipan Saha, Sabina Yasmin and Shiuli Saha were named deputy leaders. Many senior MPs including Samar Mukhopadhyay, Arup Roy, Rathin Ghosh, Javed Khan and Prasun Banerjee are also reported to have joined the rebellion.Mamta agreed, Abhishek deniedDespite challenging the existing leadership structure, the rebels stopped short of directly confronting Mamata Banerjee.“Abhishek Banerjee will have no role in this. Neither our legislature party nor the party organization has any relation with him. Nor does the public have any relation with him. The people of Bengal have no relation with him. If there was any relation, he would not have remained hidden for 26 days, he would have come out.” Ritabrata said, “He was beaten just like thieves are beaten.”He said, “We will request Mamata Banerjee to play the role of chief advisor of the legislature party.”TMC dissolved all the committeesAs the crisis escalated, the party leadership announced sweeping organizational changes.“After careful consideration, it has been decided that all the committees of the All India Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, as well as all its frontal organisations, will be dissolved with immediate effect,” the party said in a statement.Political observers saw the move as an acknowledgment that the dispute had moved beyond routine factionalism into a battle for control of the party.The roots of the rebellion lie in the dispute over the selection of the opposition leader after the elections. Firhad Hakim resigns from the post of Mayor of KolkataIn another blow to TMC, senior leader Firhad Hakim sought Mamata Banerjee’s approval to resign from the post of Kolkata Mayor.“At that time, he was asked not to resign. However, today he again requested Mamata Banerjee to allow him to step down, after which she agreed,” TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh told reporters.Hakim had earlier cited difficulties in functioning after the BJP came to power in West Bengal. His resignation comes amid uncertainty within the party and follows a series of resignations of councilors in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.One of the most prominent minority faces of TMC, Hakim has served as the mayor of Kolkata since 2018 and remains a key figure in the party.ED sent summons to Abhishek BanerjeeThe Enforcement Directorate also summoned TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee in connection with the primary teacher recruitment scam.Agency officials sent a notice directing him to appear on June 15. The summons is related to the ongoing money-laundering investigation into alleged irregularities in teacher recruitment and suspected financial misconduct.ED has already attached and seized assets worth Rs 154 crore in this case. Earlier this year, assets worth around Rs 57.78 crore were attached in connection with the widespread school recruitment scam. The investigation gained national attention following the arrest of former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee in 2022 following the recovery of cash and valuables linked to an alleged cash-for-jobs racket.(with inputs from agencies)

For 28 years, Trinamool Congress was synonymous with Mamata Banerjee. His party, his command, his word.
That certainty ended on June 3, when, for the first time since Mamata founded the TMC in 1998, a large group of elected Trinamool MLAs openly broke with the leadership – they did not leave the party; Instead, he claimed to be its “real” voice in the House.

Why will BJP and JDS keep a close eye on DK Shivkumar government?

New Delhi: D.K shivkumar The era has begun in Karnataka. CongressThe biggest troublemaker has finally arrived as the Chief Minister of his state – a dream he cherished and worked for for years. Shivakumar took the oath of office in the name of the revered saint “Gangadhar Ajja” while holding a copy of the Constitution in his hands. His promotion comes after a long wait, but it has the potential to change the political dynamics in the state. Karnataka Congress chief stakes claim to the top post for the first time in 2023 after leading the party to a record victory BJP In the assembly elections. However, the Congress high command then favored Siddaramaiah’s experience and asked Shivakumar to wait for his turn under a rotational power-sharing arrangement.

karnataka assembly 2023 results

The fact that the Congress high command managed to ensure a smooth transition of power despite hurdles has put the grand old party in a strong position ahead of the 2028 assembly elections in the state. The Congress will hope that this leadership change will help the party counter the anti-incumbency wave, if any, against the Siddaramaiah government.But this leadership change is not just about countering the anti-incumbency wave. It is also about how the change in caste equations with this leadership change could affect the success of political parties in the state.It is no surprise that the BJP and JD(S) would be closely watching the 64-year-old Vokkaliga Congress stalwart serving as the Chief Minister. The Congress move forces both the parties that hold the opposition spot in the state to go back to their drawing boards and rework their strategies and balance the caste factor ahead of the 2028 assembly elections.

Why can the rise of Shivkumar become a headache for BJP?

For the BJP, Shivakumar’s promotion could potentially disrupt the strategy the party has spent years building in Karnataka.State politics has long revolved around two dominant communities – the Lingayats and the Vokkaligas. Simply put, they hold the keys to power. Members of both these groups have held the post of Chief Minister more times than any other community in the history of Karnataka, making them central to every party’s electoral calculations.While the BJP’s strength has traditionally come from the Lingayat belt, especially under BS Yediyurappa, its expansion plans depended on making deep inroads into the Vokkaliga-dominated old Mysuru region.This was basically the reason behind BJP’s alliance with JD(S). The BJP’s strategy was clear: it would bring in its Lingayat support base, while helping the HD Deve Gowda and HD Kumaraswamy-led JD(S) garner Vokkaliga votes. Together, the alliance was expected to form a coalition capable of challenging the Congress across southern Karnataka. But the elevation of Shivakumar, one of the state’s most influential Vokkaliga leaders, as chief minister complicates that calculation.Shivakumar gave the Congress something that its rivals would have loved that it did not have, a powerful Vokkaliga face not only part of the party but actually holding the top post in the state. His rise comes at a time when the BJP is carefully balancing its caste equations. The party appointed Vokkaliga leader R Ashok as the leader of the opposition while handing over the state unit chairmanship to Lingayat leader BS Yediyurappa’s son BY Vijayendra. The message was clear: a Lingayat would lead the organization and a Vokkaliga would lead the fight against the government.Now that Shivkumar is in the Chief Minister’s chair, the balancing process may have to be changed.The concern within a section of the BJP is that it may be difficult to consolidate support for the NDA in southern Karnataka because of a Vokkaliga chief minister. There is also a possibility that the Congress may want to further expand its social alliance by reaching out to sections of the backward classes and Dalits, who may be disappointed with Siddaramaiah’s departure.For a BJP that was hoping to expand beyond its traditional strongholds, Shivakumar’s rise presents a new challenge.

How will JD(S) now be forced to protect its core support base

And while the BJP has the caste balance in check, its ally Janata Dal (Secular), led by former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and his son HD Kumaraswamy, faces a real challenge.The party has considered the Vokkaliga-dominated Old Mysuru region as its impregnable fortress. The community, which is one of the most powerful agrarian and socio-political factions in Karnataka, has traditionally stood behind the Deve Gowda clan, seeing them as the ultimate guardians of Vokkaliga pride.However, Shivakumar being the Chief Minister directly threatens this monopoly as he is no longer just a political challenger but now has the authority as Chief Minister to woo the community with his administrative decisions. The JD(S) now needs to rework the strategy to protect its core voter base from a formidable, incumbent Vokkaliga CM who has the state machinery, necessary resources and a point to prove. This becomes even more challenging given the fact that JD(S) has been on a decline for some time now.In the 2023 assembly elections, the party won just 19 seats and secured around 13% vote share, in sharp contrast to the Congress, which came to power with 135 seats. It is noteworthy that the Congress has made big gains in many parts of the old Mysore region, which has been a JD(S) stronghold for years.The rivalry between Shivakumar and Kumaraswamy has also intensified in the last few years. The two leaders have repeatedly locked horns, with Kumaraswamy accusing the Congress of trying to weaken the JD(S) politically, while Shivakumar has rejected the claims, saying the regional party remains indispensable in Karnataka politics.The JD(S), which had shared power with the Congress in the past, now has a task ahead of it. There is a need to formulate a strategy to ensure that Chief Minister DK Shivakumar does not marginalize the party in state politics. DK Shivakumar, on the other hand, will have to prove that his governance skills are as good as his crisis management skills. The Congress stalwart, who has spent years building his image as a skilled organizer capable of delivering victories and protecting the party in its toughest moments, will now have to show that he too can lead the party successfully.