A truce has been called, albeit temporarily, between Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar on the instructions of the Congress high command, bringing to an end another round of infighting in the state unit of the Grand Old Party. Karnataka is among the three states where the Congress is still in power, a far cry from its pan-India dominance of earlier times, and it is important that the party retain its footprint in the southern state where the BJP is a formidable force. Assembly elections are due there in 2028, and the saffron party is chomping at the bit to reassume power in its only southern stronghold. The power struggle between Siddaramaiah and DKS is a recurrent leitmotif that is proving to be a headache for the Congress leadership. DKS’ claim that there was a verbal agreement about a rotational chief ministership after 2.5 years has been consistently denied by Siddaramaiah. Now that two-and-a-half years of the CM’s tenure are up, DKS began upping the ante and demanding that the high command live up to its word. It is a catch-22 situation for the Congress leadership, as it cannot afford to antagonise Siddaramaiah, who has the backing of the formidable AHINDA formation of backward classes, Dalits, and minorities. On the other hand, DKS is supported by the powerful Vokkaligas and is also the party’s tried and tested troubleshooter whenever there is a crisis, given his enormous money power.
The breakfast meeting at the CM’s residence arranged by Congress general secretary KC Venugopal signalled a truce between the two warring leaders, but each stuck to his stand regarding the chief ministership, with DKS saying that he is in no hurry to assume the top chair and Siddaramaiah maintaining that they only discussed the upcoming corporation elections and the 2028 state Assembly polls. The latter is keen to overtake the record set by Devaraj Urs of being the longest-serving chief minister of Karnataka, which he will do in January 2026. DKS, a Gandhi family loyalist, is unlikely to do anything to rock the boat immediately. However, at some stage his patience is bound to wear thin, and he will no doubt demand that his loyalty be rewarded. With the Parliament session beginning today and the Assembly session kicking off in Belagavi on December 8, no immediate decision on the leadership issue is expected before end-December. The compromise formula to be worked out may well include a promise to project DKS as the CM face in 2028, as Siddaramaiah will turn 80 then, and a hold on any cabinet reshuffle, which would benefit the CM’s faction. Nowhere does the Congress need an astute political will more than in Karnataka if it is to retain the state.
