On Thursday night time, after the Congress authorities in Karnataka accomplished two-and-a-half years in energy, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge returned from a dinner with get together chief Sonia Gandhi to seek out a number of Karnataka Congress MPs gathered on the doorstep of his home in New Delhi.
A gaggle of seven to eight MLAs and some MLCs out of the get together’s 135 MLAs in Karnataka had been all staunch supporters of CM vice-chairman and state Congress president DK Shivakumar. Shivakumar has been aspiring for the chief minister’s put up ever for the reason that Congress got here to energy on Might 20, 2023 below OBC chief Siddaramaiah, the get together’s CM candidate.
One of many key takeaways from the unannounced touchdown of the Congress get together, ostensibly searching for Shivakumar’s CM seat, is affirmation that the Congress management has no intention of shaking the Karnataka management for a while, particularly within the wake of Mahagathbandhan’s defeat within the latest Bihar elections.
Shivakumar’s supporters’ go to to Delhi comes on the heels of a sequence of conferences by Kharge with Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar, deputy CM’s brother DK Suresh and others within the wake of the Bihar outcomes, and a message was conveyed to all to be affected person with their calls for.
In line with Congress sources, the excessive command has requested Mr. Siddaramaiah to carry his horses on the proposal floated by Mr. Shivakumar relating to cupboard reshuffle, which was opposed by Mr. Shivakumar if the handover of the CM’s put up doesn’t happen on the similar time. The Congress management can be blocking Shivakumar from turning into the CM chairman within the medium time period. The CM group’s long-standing demand for a brand new state president who may very well be the CM candidate for the 2028 state polls has additionally been placed on maintain resulting from Shivakumar’s reluctance to step down.
The excessive command is known to be cautious of political turmoil within the state if coverage modifications are carried out in a weak constituency, with a number of polls looming in 2026, together with one in neighboring Kerala, which is a specific focus of the get together.
Though Shivakumar denies figuring out the aim of his supporters’ go to to Delhi, he has a skinny help base each among the many folks and the get together’s MLAs. However he’s a rich and highly effective minister who faces little opposition and, apart from working the parliamentary state unit effectively, controls money-generating portfolios equivalent to Bangalore improvement and water assets.
“I’ve little interest in bringing any group to Delhi. I do not consider in sectarianism. The CM mentioned there will probably be a cupboard reshuffle, so some MLAs went to Delhi. I’ve not despatched them to Delhi. They’re going on their very own. What’s flawed?” he mentioned on Friday.
Against this, Siddaramaiah, who will flip 80 in 2028, enjoys an enormous help and belief base from each MPs and the general public as a socialist, pro-OBC, Dalit and minority chief. Though he’s not a really rich chief himself, he enjoys the help of a number of rich and outstanding members of his cupboard.
The official affirmation of the established order message from the Congress excessive command to state leaders got here from Siddaramaiah himself. “I’ve instructed the excessive command that there’s a want for a cupboard reshuffle after two-and-a-half years in energy. This has led to hypothesis. Mr. Kharge has mentioned that he’ll speak to Mr. Rahul Gandhi,” he mentioned on Thursday.
It has come to mild that Mr. Siddaramaiah was instructed by opposition chief Rahul Gandhi to seek the advice of Mr. Kharge concerning the cupboard reshuffle plan when it was briefly mooted in New Delhi final week. Congress sources mentioned Mr. Kharge put the ball again in Mr. Gandhi’s court docket.
The deadlock is extensively believed to have been brought on by Mr. Shivakumar’s assertion that an interim reshuffle and not using a management change would ship a sign that Mr. Siddaramaiah would proceed in energy till the tip of his time period.
“There isn’t a such factor as November revolution. It’s a media creation. We’ve been given 5 years and we’ll rule for 5 years. If elections are held, we’ll win once more. There isn’t a want for any debate (on altering the CM),” Siddaramaiah mentioned in Chamarajanagar district, the place the superstition persists that if the CM visits the world, he’ll lose energy.
“Those that are saying that I’ll lose energy if I go to Chamarajnagar, please know that I’ve turn into stronger since I visited this district. I’m robust now and can turn into stronger,” he added.
The place Shivakumar stands
Mr. Shivakumar has despatched out blended messages within the run-up to his look within the industrial, and whereas he seems involved concerning the actions of his supporters, he personally tries to stay calm in public. “I’m in no hurry to take a seat within the CM chair. I’m in politics to serve the folks,” he mentioned not too long ago. He had earlier this week hinted at his intention to resign as state Congress president, however didn’t say whether or not it had something to do together with his demand to turn into CM.
Whereas Mr. Shivakumar has at all times insisted on being promoted to the highest put up, Mr. Siddaramaiah has maintained that he’ll serve the total five-year time period. He mentioned on Friday that the following nationwide funds will probably be offered in March 2026. “It’s the excessive command that decides on modifications within the authorities, be it management change or cupboard reshuffle. Has the excessive command mentioned something about this stuff? In the end, the excessive command’s selections will probably be binding on me, DK Shivakumar and everybody.”
At the same time as Shivakumar’s supporters had been in Delhi, a caucus of senior leaders from Dalit and tribal communities, largely allies of the CM, was attending a dinner on the house of senior Congress chief Satish Jarkiholi, a detailed aide of Siddaramaiah and the CM’s vice-president’s challenger for the state Congress president’s put up.
Requested concerning the talks, Shivakumar mentioned, “They’ve been holding dinners for the previous two-and-a-half years and demanding extra deputy CMs and alter of the state Congress president. I want they might maintain extra dinners.”
Of the 51 seats (36 SC and 15 ST) reserved for Dalits and tribals, the Congress gained 36 seats (21 SC and 14 ST) in 2023. Given the big contingent of Dalit and ST Congress MLAs, they’re more likely to play a key function in each determination of the Congress legislative get together.
Mr. Kharge was joined by HD Ranganath, TD Rajegowda, Iqbal Hussain, SR Srinivas, Anekal Shivanna, N Srinivas and Sivaganga on the entrance porch of his Rajaji Marg residence on Thursday night time. – It was discovered that he had a pleasing dialog with Basavaraj, MLC S. Ravi and different MLAs for 10 minutes earlier than sending off a message saying he would meet him when he involves Bangalore later this week.
At the same time as this tug-of-war unfolds, Randeep Singh Surjewala, the Congress common secretary in control of Karnataka, has warned MLAs to remain in lockstep and never disrupt governance.
“I’ve spoken to the Karnataka CM and performing CM and agreed that the decisively defeated and faction-obsessed Karnataka BJP, together with some media retailers, is intentionally working a smear marketing campaign towards Karnataka and the Congress authorities,” Surjewala wrote on social media on Friday.
“Pointless statements by some Congress leaders and MLAs have additionally fueled hypothesis. The INC has issued a stern warning towards making public statements on problems with management and being fooled by agendas propagated by vested pursuits. The management has taken notice of the views of varied get together leaders,” he mentioned.
