The internal power struggle within the Karnataka Congress over the chief minister’s post intensified on Tuesday, with Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar issuing a striking clarification that he had never asked to be made the Chief Minister. His remarks come at a time when loyalists of both Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar are sharpening their respective strategies, heightening tensions within the ruling party.
Speaking to reporters in Kanakapura, Shivakumar said the ongoing discussions over a change in leadership were part of a “secret agreement” between a small group of leaders, which he refused to discuss in public. “The issue of changing the Chief Minister is something I do not want to speak about openly. This is a secret pact between four to five people. I believe in my conscience,” he said.
The Deputy Chief Minister stressed that he had no intention of weakening the party or causing embarrassment to the Congress at a time when the organisation is facing both internal and external pressures. “I do not want to cause any discomfort or weaken the party in any way. If the party exists, we all exist,” he reiterated.
The controversy resurfaced when the Congress government completed 2.5 years in office on November 20. The milestone revived the long-rumoured 2023 “power-sharing agreement” between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, under which the latter was expected to take over the Chief Minister’s post mid-term. Siddaramaiah had publicly stated that he would present the next budget as CM, further fueling speculation and causing unease among Shivakumar’s supporters.
Shivakumar, however, maintained that he has never demanded the CM’s chair. “I have not asked anyone to make me Chief Minister. I work with my conscience. The Chief Minister is a senior leader and an asset to the party,” he said, adding that Siddaramaiah completing 7.5 years as CM across two terms was also a matter of record.
Amid the Congress leadership struggle, BJP MLC and former minister H. Vishwanath added fuel to the political fire, insisting that Siddaramaiah must hand over power to Shivakumar. Speaking in the Vidhana Soudha, he argued that the Congress secured 136 seats in the 2023 elections mainly due to the support mobilised by Shivakumar, particularly among the Vokkaliga community.
He claimed that the Vokkaliga vote bank, which traditionally contributed only 4-5 votes to the Congress in parts of K.R. Nagar taluk, delivered nearly 15,000 votes this time due to trust in Shivakumar. “People voted believing he would get the Chief Minister’s post. Siddaramaiah alone cannot take credit for 136 seats,” Vishwanath asserted.
He also criticised those calling Siddaramaiah “indispensable” to the Congress, saying the party existed long before him and would continue after him. “If you look at the way he is behaving, it seems like he wants the Congress to lock its doors,” he remarked.
Senior Congress leaders, such as former minister Rajanna, had earlier stated that Siddaramaiah was indispensable to the party, triggering a counter-response from BJP leaders who accused the ruling party of “horse trading” to protect the government.
Reacting to claims that Congress was engaging in poaching, Vishwanath dismissed them as political exaggerations. “Every party looks for ways to come to power. BJP has done it, JDS has done it. It is nothing new,” he said.
On questions regarding Rahul Gandhi not giving time to Shivakumar, Vishwanath remarked bluntly: “Ask Rahul Gandhi why he is not giving time. That is for the Congress to answer.”
