Bengaluru: The strategy of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to stay afloat in the power has stunned the party high command, leaving LOP Rahul Gandhi red faced, as the party will be in a fix to stand by the promise made in 2023.
Since Siddaramaiah is categorically denying any such promises or power transfer talks had been held in 2023, the party high command is exploring a way to execute the talks, which indeed had taken place and the details of the talks are slowly becoming public.
If the high command asks Siddaramaiah to abide by the talks, the message to the public would be that the high command had forced an c, who was popular, to give up the post. If the high command allows Siddaramaiah to continue, the party loyals would be let down, as Siddaramaiah entered the party only in 2008 and has been enjoying the power in the capacity of either opposition leader or the chief minister. Besides, his supporters, who have come to Congress after 2008 are enjoying the most powerful positions in the government, leaving the original congressmen high and dry.
Eversince Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar claimed the stake for Chief Ministerial post, Rahul Gandhi has been in consultation with his core team. He also held talks with Karnataka leaders like B K Hariprasad, minister Krishna Byre Gowda, whom Rahul trusts a lot and also IT&BT Minister Priyank Kharge. After prolonged meetings, Rahul expressed his displeasure over Siddaramaiah supporters resorting to media campaigns, resulting in groupism within the Congress government. Any move by the central leadership will be damaging the Congress party's last strong bastion, leaving only neighbouring Telangana at the party's disposal. While sending a message to D K Shivakumar, assuring him to protect his interest, Rahul Gandhi has also sent a message to Siddaramaiah, asking him to silence his supporters.
When Congress came to power in 2023, D K Shivakumar was the strong contender to the Chief Ministerial post. He had the support of Sonia Gandhi and Priyanaka Gandhi. However, Rahul Gandhi was impressed by Siddaramaiah's AHINDA (Minorities Backward and Dalit) combination movement and wanted to replicate it to other parts of the country. When Rahul tried to overrule his mother and sister, D K Shivakumar offered to give up KPCC President post and refused to accept any ministry. At that point of time, two and half years each formula came to the fore and Shivakumar was asked to accept Deputy Chief Minister post and continue as KPCC President till he became Chief Minister.
Though D K Shivakumar's brother D K Suresh requested to announce the arrangement, Siddaramaiah assured that he was a man of words and Kharge interfered and said that it would have adverse effect on the administration.
Initially, Siddaramaiah was mentally prepared to transfer the power and take political retirement after November. However, he wanted to request for an extension till March, so that he would become the longest-served chief minister of the State, overtaking D Devaraj Urs. However, his supporters wanted either him to continue or stop D K Shivakumar from becoming Chief Minister. Everyone had their own reasons for not liking Shivakumar. While the Jarkiholi family is cut off with Shivakumar as minister, Laxmi Hebbalkar is close to him. People like Dr Parameshwar and H K Patil are seniors to Shivakumar and never liked his way of handling things deftly.
That was the time when Dr Parameshwar and others started floating Dalit Chief Minister ball to counter Shivakumar and portray him as anti-Dalit. Siddaramaiah personally spoke to Kharge about it and invited him to succeed him. When Kharge refused, his supporters met him and tried persuading him. When Kharge did not budge, they came out with Dalit or Backward Class chief minister.
Even Siddaramaiah slowly started saying that he was elected by the Legislature Party for a period of five years and went on saying that he would complete the term. Only during the last three days, he changed his statement that he would complete the term if the high command asked him to.
The entire game plan was to provoke Shivakumar and make him come out with some damaging statement. However, Shivakumar swallowed all the humiliation till the two and a half year of Siddaramaiah tenure as chief minister was completed on Nov 20. Next day, he made it amply clear that he was ready to take the reins as Chief Minister. Instead of saying anything, he made his supporters send the message across.
On Thursday, before leaving for Delhi, Mallikarjun Khage said that both the leaders would be summoned to Delhi and the party would take appropriate decisions to clear all confusions.
