Bengaluru: Two days have passed since the reported two-and-a-half-year power-sharing tenure for the Chief Minister’s post in Karnataka came to an end on November 20, and the political tug of war between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has only intensified.
In a dramatic turn of events, a group of Karnataka MLAs loyal to Shivakumar travelled to New Delhi on November 20 to meet AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence. Arriving just minutes before midnight, the delegation including Gubbi MLA Srinivas, Sringeri MLA Rajegowda, Kunigal MLA HD Ranganath, Anekal MLA B Shivana, Kadachi MLA Mahendra Kallappa Tammanmavar and MLC C Ravi urged the High Command to honour what they claim was a commitment to replace Siddaramaiah with Shivakumar as Chief Minister after the halfway mark.
Sources from the DKS camp said the visit served as a strong reminder to the leadership in Delhi that the time had come for a change of guard. However, Kharge is said to have told the legislators that any decision on the CM post rests entirely with the High Command asking them instead to focus on the upcoming cabinet reshuffle, which is expected after the Bihar elections.
Back in Bengaluru, Shivakumar downplayed the Delhi meeting, saying MLAs were free to meet party leaders and express their aspirations. Posting on X, the KPCC chief asserted, “All 140 MLAs are my MLAs. Making a group is not in my blood… Everyone wants to become a minister, so it is natural for them to meet the leadership in Delhi. It is their right. The Chief Minister has said he will complete 5 years. I wish him all the best… We abide by the High Command.”.
More DKS loyalists are expected to head to Delhi in the coming days to lobby for their leader’s elevation. Most of those backing Shivakumar belong to the influential Vokkaliga community, though AHINDA (Minorities, Backward Classes and Dalits) legislators also held a meeting on November 20. Shivakumar later said their discussions were centred on appointing a new KPCC President and increasing the number of Deputy Chief Ministers in the reshuffle.
Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah has reiterated that he will remain in office for the full five-year term and will continue to present the state budgets. He dismissed talks of rebellion as a “media creation”, stating that any decisions on leadership change, cabinet expansion or administrative restructuring will be made solely by the Congress High Command. Siddaramaiah is set to meet Kharge in Bengaluru on November 22 to discuss the next course of action.
