Mysuru: What was meant to be a massive showcase of unity and governance success for the ruling Congress in Karnataka ended up laying bare the simmering power struggle between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar. The grand Sadhana Samavesha, held at the historic Maharaja’s College Grounds in Mysuru on July 19, aimed to project two and a half years of achievements. Instead, it highlighted widening cracks within the state leadership.
Even before the rally gathered momentum, the political theatre turned awkward. As Siddaramaiah took the stage, listing senior leaders and guests to set the tone for his address, party insiders noticed that DK Shivakumar’s name was conspicuously missing. When a senior Congress leader leaned in to remind him to acknowledge the Deputy CM, Siddaramaiah snapped back sharply, declaring, “He isn’t here. He’s gone back to Bengaluru. We only mention leaders who stand with us on stage, not those sitting comfortably at home.”
The unexpected rebuke, broadcast live on giant screens to a crowd of thousands, confirmed what many Congress insiders have been whispering for months — the uneasy partnership between the state’s two tallest leaders is fraying under the weight of competing ambitions.
Shivakumar, who arrived from Bengaluru specifically for the event, delivered a short address in which he made a point to shout “Jai Congress” at the end — a gesture that looked more like a parting shot than a unifying slogan. Without staying back for Siddaramaiah’s much-awaited speech, the Deputy CM abruptly left the venue, citing a sudden illness. While his aides claimed he was running a mild fever, the timing of his exit — moments before Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge took the mic — only fuelled talk that the rivalry is nearing a breaking point.
Adding another layer to the drama, Siddaramaiah didn’t hold back later in his speech. He flung open a direct challenge to the opposition BJP and JD(S), calling them out for “spreading lies” about Karnataka’s finances and development works. But even as he thundered about guarantees and schemes, many in the crowd were busy discussing why Shivakumar had quietly slipped away — and what message he intended to send.
Notably, sources close to Shivakumar said he had also cancelled a post-event lunch at the residence of Chamarajanagar MP Sunil Bose. “He had promised to visit us but later said he had to rush back to Bengaluru,” Bose confirmed, adding that the cancellation came without any clear reason beyond ‘not feeling well’.
Behind the scenes, senior leaders scrambled to contain the fallout. AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge, who had arrived hoping to project unity ahead of the Lok Sabha campaign push, looked visibly irked when Mysuru minister HC Mahadevappa whispered to Siddaramaiah mid-speech, trying to smooth over the slip. Kharge signalled him to stop, urging the CM to stay focused on exposing BJP contradictions instead of getting distracted by protocol slips.
Siddaramaiah soaking up the crowd’s cheers solo, walking down a specially erected ramp in a dramatic flourish, showered with flower petals — while Shivakumar’s absence loomed larger than the CM’s grand entry.
Political observers say the tensions are no longer confined to closed-door meetings. The state’s Congress unit is deeply aware that Siddaramaiah’s enduring popularity in the Old Mysuru belt and among backward classes clashes with Shivakumar’s clout among Vokkaligas and party funders. Both men have avoided direct attacks but their public spats, like Saturday’s snub, hint that the next electoral cycle could see these two power centres collide head-on.
Ironically, the Sadhana Samavesha itself was intended to blunt the opposition’s narrative, particularly the BJP-JDS padayatras and corruption allegations over the Mysuru Urban Development Authority scam. Instead, it ended up spotlighting internal fractures.
For now, both leaders maintain that their so-called “adjustment” will hold. But party insiders admit the question is not if but when Karnataka Congress’s balancing act will buckle under the weight of two leaders who both see themselves as the rightful claimant to the top seat.
As the crowds dispersed from Maharaja’s Grounds on Saturday evening, the biggest talking point was no longer the Congress guarantees but the deepening power rift at its very top a drama that could decide Karnataka’s political script in 2028 and beyond.
