BENGALURU: For Congress workers, DK Shivakumar’s swearing-in as chief minister is being projected as more than a leadership transition. His rise from student activist and youth leader to the state’s highest elected office is being showcased by party leaders as proof that years of grassroots organisational work can still lead to the top, a message aimed at energising the cadre and strengthening the party’s ranks ahead of the 2028 assembly elections.At a party workers’ programme following his swearing-in, speakers repeatedly highlighted Shivakumar’s rise through the ranks, portraying him as a leader shaped by the organisation rather than political entitlement. The emphasis on his years spent mobilising workers, managing elections and building the party structure resonated strongly with younger workers in attendance.Shivakumar himself valorised the new KPCC president BKHariprasad’s journey : “36 years a worker elevated to president by Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi.”“If you forget the root, you will not get the fruit,” Shivakumar told party workers at KPCC late Wednesday evening.Even the new policy of having Bharat jodo yuva sanghas across the state was a means to tap into 25 lakh youth voterbase.Prior to the CM’s visit, Former minister and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee campaign committee chairman Vinay Kumar Sorake recalled a conversation from Shivakumar’s early political years. “He had said one day he would become chief minister. I would jokingly ask him when that day would come, and he would tell me to wait,” Sorake said, describing his ascent as the culmination of decades of persistence.Sorake also pointed to Shivakumar’s decision to visit the KPCC headquarters after assuming office first of its kind. As per him, the move sends a message that the youth remained central to the party’s future plans, particularly as Congress begins looking towards the next assembly election.Featuring memories of Shivakumar’s legal battles, V Kavitha, a party worker, expressed disappointment that many senior leaders did not receive him at the airport when he returned during the ED and CBI investigations. “It was the youth who stood by him,” she said, arguing that younger workers had remained steadfast during difficult periods.Several coordinators and office-bearers also recalled a message Shivakumar frequently repeated during organisational meetings: “Efforts made for the party are never wasted.” Workers said the sentiment had gained renewed significance with his elevation to the top post.Others credited him with helping mobilise young volunteers during the Bharat Jodo Yatra and investing time in youth outreach programmes. A member of the Jawahar Bal Manch from Davangere recalled an instance when Shivakumar arranged flight tickets for 25 girls from Karnataka to attend a programme in Rajasthan, saying he often emphasised that children and young people represented the country’s future.