Intra-Congress Conflict in Karnataka ResurfacesIntra-Congress Conflict in Karnataka Resurfaces The Congress party in Karnataka is facing renewed internal strife between two main factions led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar. Shivakumar’s Bid for CM Post After the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Shivakumar has revived his bid to become Chief Minister, blaming the party’s lower-than-expected performance on Siddaramaiah’s leadership. He is positioning himself as an alternative to Gowda and Kumaraswamy, representing the dominant Vokkaliga community. Siddaramaiah’s Counteroffensive Siddaramaiah’s cabal has countered by diluting Shivakumar’s powers through the demand for three more Deputy CMs to represent other allied communities. They also suggest that Shivakumar obstructed their original plan for multiple Deputy CMs. Mounting Pressure on Siddaramaiah Religious leaders, including a Vokkaliga seer, have publicly called for Siddaramaiah to step down and support Shivakumar as CM. Additionally, Lingayat leaders have demanded a Lingayat CM if Siddaramaiah is replaced. Shivakumar’s Attempt to Calm the Waters Despite the escalating conflict, Shivakumar has announced an end to public statements about changing the CM or Deputy CM, threatening disciplinary action for those who violate this directive. He has also publicly declined the CM post, stating that he is content with the seer’s blessings. Future Outlook While the internal conflict may temporarily subside after Shivakumar’s statement, it is expected to resurface after upcoming bypolls or potentially even after the Maharashtra elections, where Shivakumar is anticipated to play a key role. Siddaramaiah’s Position Despite the challenges, Siddaramaiah remains in a strong position, facing internal opposition but not yet seen as vulnerable.
It is no secret that the ruling Congress in Karnataka is beset by factions, with two main factions, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM plus Karnataka Party president DK Shivakumar respectively. After periodic battles since the party came to power in 2023, the hatchet was temporarily buried before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
But now that the elections are over, the parties are competing again. Followers of Shivakumar – who has made no bones about coveting the CM seat – has revived his bid, pointing fingers at the party’s lower-than-expected performance in the Lok Sabha polls in the state. Siddaramaiah’s cabal, in turn, is trying to shift the buck to Shivakumar, besides diluting his powers by re-raising the demand for three more deputy CMs.
Despite the Congress improving its seat count in the state by eight, the Lok Sabha poll results fell short of expectations. The results were particularly setback for Shivakumar, whose younger brother DK Suresh lost his home constituency — Bengaluru Rural constituency — to a candidate from the BJP-JD(S) coalition, while the Congress itself failed to win more than one of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in south Karnataka. Shivakumar has positioned himself as an alternative to former prime minister HD Deve Gowda and his son, ex-CM HD Kumaraswamy, as a leader of the dominant Vokkaliga community in the region.
However, with the Congress facing bypolls in three Assembly seats in the coming months as its MLAs — JD(U)’s Kumaraswamy from Mandya, BJP’s Basavaraj Bommai from Haveri and Congress’ E Tukaram from Ballari — get elected as MPs Shivakumar sees a new opportunity to achieve his goal.
This has led to a new wave of political conflict between the two Congress factions.
In an attempt to show that he will not be deterred in his efforts to take up the Vokkaliga gauntlet, Shivakumar is positioning himself as a Congress candidate from the Channapatna Assembly seat, which has incidentally been vacated by Kumaraswamy. His supporters have also tried to spread the word that the party’s inability to win as many Lok Sabha seats as it hoped was not only due to its inability to secure Vokkaliga’s support but also that of Siddaramaiah’s OBC Kuruba- community, while the traditional SC/ST of Congress voters stayed away.
But that is a bit of an exaggeration, since of all the communities in Karnataka, it is the SCs, STs and Muslims that seem to have helped the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections. For instance, the Congress has three ST MPs, including Satish Jarkiholi’s daughter Priyanka, who won from a general seat, besides two winners from ST reserved seats.
Sensing Shivakumar’s attempts to backstab himself in a bid for the CM’s post, the Siddaramaiah faction has been pushing the demand for three more Deputy CMs – besides Shivakumar – over the past week to represent various communities allied with the Congress.
The Siddaramaiah camp believes that the original plan was to have more deputy chief ministerial candidates after the Congress formed the government in May 2023, but that Shivakumar had foiled this plan.
Among those who have raised the demand for more deputy CMs are Jarkiholi and another ST leader, KN Rajanna, as well as Zameer Ahmed Khan, all of whom are allies of the CM.
“A leader from Lingayat, SC/STs and minorities should be made deputy CM. The party will lose the affection of the people if only a few get power. Though the deputy CMs will not be given any special powers, the move will be a matter of pride (for the communities they represent),” Cooperation Minister KN Rajanna had said last week. Rajanna also indicated that he was ready to take up the role of state Congress chief.
“There is nothing wrong in seeking a deputy CM post. Every community has made such a request,” Khan, who is the housing minister, said shortly after Rajanna’s statement.
Now religious leaders have come into the picture. Speaking at an event to mark the birth anniversary of Vokkaliga icon Kempegowda, a Vokkaliga seer, Chandrashekharanatha Swami, said Siddaramaiah should make way for Shivakumar as CM.
“Our DK Shivakumar did not become the CM. My request is that in future, Siddaramaiah, who has experienced (the position), hands over power to our Shivakumar and blesses him,” he said. “Only if Siddaramaiah takes his decision, this can happen.”
“We are in a democracy. Whatever the high command decides will happen,” Siddaramaiah told the media when questioned about the seer’s suggestion. The Karnataka CM also said that he was an elected CM and not a nominee – suggesting that Shivakumar did not have the necessary support among Congress MLAs to become the CM.
“It is the personal view of the seer. We have a party leadership that decides these matters democratically,” Jarkiholi, who holds the portfolio of the Public Works Department, said when asked about the issue. He also indicated that he himself would be in the running for the post of CM in 2028.
Shortly after, two visionaries from the Lingayat community — considered an ally of the BJP — called for a Lingayat CM if Siddaramaiah was replaced. Srisaila Jagadguru and Balehonnur Rambhapuri said that the Lingayats had supported the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections and the party should respond in kind now.
On Saturday, Shivakumar announced the end of the current battle. “Anyone making public statements about changing the CM or Deputy CM will face disciplinary action from the AICC and the KPCC. Discipline is of utmost importance to the party. We have worked hard to bring the party to power. No one may rely on this issue. AICC chairman Mallikarjun Kharge, Siddaramaiah and I held a meeting in Delhi and decided that everyone should work for the party Ministers, MLAs and seers should not talk about party matters,” Shivakumar said.
He added, “The swamiji (seer) spoke out of affection, but his blessings are sufficient for me. Please do not propose or support me for the post of CM… Let us put an end to these things,” he said.
While the din of internal strife in the Congress is likely to die down after Shivakumar’s statement, it is expected to resume after the bypolls, or even remain dormant till the elections in neighbouring Maharashtra, where Shivakumar is expected to be roped in to bolster the Congress’s efforts with his organisational capabilities.
Siddaramaiah, meanwhile, is still seen as being in a strong position despite recent protests against him by the BJP over alleged misappropriation of funds from the state ST Development Corporation, which cost ST minister B Nagendra his post.
