Bengaluru: The ongoing debate over the Chief Minister’s post in Karnataka has taken a sharp political turn, exposing the growing undercurrents within the ruling Congress. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, long seen as the natural successor to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, appears to have been strategically outflanked by the Chief Minister’s own son, Dr. Yathindra Siddaramaiah, who has now brought Minister Satish Jarkiholi’s name into the spotlight as the ideological heir to the Ahinda (Backward Classes, Dalits, and Minorities) movement.
This latest move by Yathindra coming immediately after DK Shivakumar’s temple visit and “resolution” at the Panchamukhi Anjaneya temple is being viewed by political analysts as a tactical “checkmate” against the DCM’s long-standing ambition for the top post.
Yathindra rolls the dice
Dr. Yathindra’s statement that Minister Satish Jarkiholi should lead the ideological politics once championed by his father has altered the state’s political narrative. Until now, discussions around a possible leadership change after the Congress completes two and a half years in office revolved around DK Shivakumar. But Yathindra’s endorsement of Satish Jarkiholi has not only challenged that narrative but also consolidated the Ahinda bloc — the traditional power base that helped Siddaramaiah rise to prominence.
“My father believes in social justice, and Minister Satish Jarkiholi follows the same ideology. I made this remark only to uphold ideological politics, not to name a political successor,” Yathindra clarified. Yet, the timing and the implications of his remarks suggest otherwise — especially as the Congress prepares for a possible cabinet reshuffle in November.
Even as the political debate heats up, DCM DK Shivakumar’s temple visit in Raichur has added a symbolic dimension to the power struggle. After performing special pujas and making a resolution before Lord Panchamukhi Anjaneya, Shivakumar cryptically said, “I have Anjaneya.” However, the temple priest later revealed that DK had expressed his wish to become Chief Minister a revelation that has only deepened the intrigue surrounding his ambitions.
With Yathindra’s statement coming just hours after DK’s temple visit, political circles are abuzz with talk that Siddaramaiah’s camp has deliberately moved to counter DK Shivakumar’s growing assertion within the party.
Satish Jarkiholi the Ahinda pivot
Minister Satish Jarkiholi’s name surfacing as a “successor” has re-energized the non-dominant community discourse within Congress. Political insiders believe this could be part of Siddaramaiah’s long-term strategy to keep the Ahinda base intact and prevent any possible fragmentation under DK Shivakumar’s leadership, who represents the Vokkaliga community.
By projecting Jarkiholi a Scheduled Tribe leader as a potential ideological inheritor, the Siddaramaiah camp seems to have outmaneuvered Shivakumar both symbolically and politically.
Meanwhile, DK Shivakumar has tried to downplay the rift, saying that the “high command’s decision is final.” Speaking to the media in Raichur, he remarked, “What I say should not matter; go and ask the Chief Minister. Both of us have agreed to follow the party’s decision. Whatever the high command says, we will abide by it.”
However, despite such statements of unity, the undercurrent of rivalry between the two top Congress leaders has become impossible to ignore.
Adding to the chaos, social media is abuzz with posts claiming that ITBT Minister Priyank Kharge could be Siddaramaiah’s real successor, given his ideological proximity and growing influence within the Congress high command. The multiple names now doing the rounds — DK Shivakumar, Satish Jarkiholi, and Priyank Kharge — have turned the succession debate into a full-blown power chessboard.
Dr Yathindra further confirmed that his father would not contest the 2028 Assembly elections, signaling the beginning of a succession battle within the Congress. “After 2028, someone must carry forward the ideology of social justice. Satish Jarkiholi is among those who can lead that movement,” he said, subtly positioning Jarkiholi as the ideological torchbearer of the Ahinda movement post-Siddaramaiah.
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