Karnataka power tussle: ‘Dark horse’ speculation rises ahead of CM–Deputy’s breakfast meet

Bengaluru: A simmering tussle within the Karnataka Congress, fuelled by speculation over a potential power-sharing arrangement between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar, has raised concern among party leaders in the state. The issue is expected to come up before the central leadership after the Congress strategy group meeting ahead of the Winter Session of Parliament on 30 November, which Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi will attend.

Amid rising speculation, Siddaramaiah has maintained that his position remains unchanged and said he has invited Shivakumar for a breakfast meeting. “The high command has called both of us, so I have invited him (DK Shivakumar) for breakfast, and we will talk there. As I said earlier, I will accept whatever the high command says; there is no change in my stand. Even he (DK Shivakumar) said that whatever the high command says we'll follow that…,” Siddaramaiah stated.

The political tension intensified on Friday when Nanjavadutha Swamiji, a prominent Vokkaliga spiritual leader, visited Shivakumar’s residence and publicly backed him amid the perceived push for the Chief Minister’s post. Praising Shivakumar’s loyalty and work for the Congress, the seer said, “Shivakumar is a prominent leader of the community, and his contributions to the party will never be forgotten… He remained loyal to the Sonia and Rahul Gandhi family.”

Both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have posted cryptic remarks on social media in recent days, with Siddaramaiah asserting that “a word is not power unless it betters the world”, while Shivakumar countered that “word power is world power”.

Shivakumar is believed to be pressing for a leadership change based on what he claims was a “secret agreement” that he would assume the Chief Ministership after 2.5 years. He met several Congress MLAs on Friday, later writing on X: “Today, KY Nanjegowda, the MLA from Malluru, Kotturu Manjunath, the MLA from Kolar, Adi Narayana, the Congress leader from Mulbagal, Dr Ranganath, the MLA from Kunigal, and Prof MV Rajeev Gowda visited me and held discussions.”

With the Siddaramaiah-led government having completed its half term earlier this month, speculation about a possible transition has grown. Nevertheless, Shivakumar insisted he is not rushing the process, saying, “I don't want anything. I am not hurrying anything. My party will make the decision. I don't want any community angle. Congress is my community, and my love is for all sections of society.”

He also confirmed plans to travel to Delhi to highlight Karnataka farmers’ concerns during the Winter Session. “I will definitely go to Delhi. It is our temple… My CM is discussing the issues (with the Centre). There is the maize issue. The central government is not supporting or helping farmers,” he said.

Senior Congress leader and former Union minister M Veerappa Moily voiced unease over the delay in resolving the matter, warning that the situation has “blown up” and taken an undesirable caste turn. “It is totally an internal problem, and it has blown up, and now the castes have taken over, the Swamijis have taken over, which is most undesirable,” he told ANI, urging the high command to intervene immediately. He also criticised the much-talked-about “50-50 formula”, saying it had not benefited the party, but insisted that if any such commitment existed, it should be honoured.

“Silence is disastrous,” Moily said. “They need to step forward and say don't continue this kind of lobbying. Don’t take this issue to the public.”

The BJP has seized on the discord, with MP Basavaraj Bommai suggesting the possibility of a “dark horse” emerging if neither Siddaramaiah nor Shivakumar backs down. “CM and Deputy CM both are in a very egoistic attitude… the high command is compelled to think of the other alternative. So in this context, a dark horse might emerge in the state,” Bommai said.

(ANI)