Who Holds Cards In Congress' Siddaramaiah-DK Shivakumar Karnataka Showdown

Siddaramaiah or DK Shivakumar? The Congress' Karnataka unit is being pushed to choose one over the other as a power struggle plays out over the post of Chief Minister of the southern state.

For now the party seems to be in 'wait-and-watch' mode. There is no plan to replace Siddaramaiah with DK Shivakumar, or DKS as he is popularly called, the Congress said Tuesday. Sources, though, told NDTV a cabinet reshuffle and/or changes to the party's state leadership structure are being considered to convince the anti-Siddaramaiah faction - i.e., MLAs loyal to DK Shivakumar - to stand down.

But if the Congress does opt to pull that trigger, then the question becomes - who has the support, from MLAs and within the party, to win that battle?

Siddaramaiah

A two-time Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah has support from the minorities and the marginalised communities, particularly the OBCs, as well as, he claims, a majority of the Congress' 135 MLAs.

This puts him in a strong position and he still has credit within the party for scripting a victory in the 2013 election, in which the Congress secured 122 seats (up from 42 in 2008) to defeat the BJP.

Siddaramaiah (File).

More importantly, he ran a relatively trouble-free government for five years.

Also, sacking him - a backward caste leader from the Kuruba community - risks adversely affecting the Congress' caste outreach, which has been led by a survey report that was presented in April.

DKS

Shivakumar has the support of the influential Vokkaliga community, which is dominant in the southern part of the state and whose votes helped propel the Congress to power in 2023.

DKS was credited with swinging the Vokkaliga votes two years ago.

The community traditionally voted for the Janata Dal Secular, delivering the Old Mysuru region to party patriarch HD Deve Gowda and then his son and two-time Chief Minister, HD Kumaraswamy

But, driven by DKS, the Vokkaligas voted overwhelmingly for the Congress two years ago; the party won 29 of the 46 Vokkaliga-dominated seats, up from just nine in the 2018 election.

DK Shivakumar (File).

That swing played a big role in helping the Congress defeat the then-ruling BJP.

DKS expected to be rewarded for that contribution by being made Chief Minister, but wily old campaigner Siddaramaiah snuck into that post on the back of support from a majority of MLAs.

He is also seen as representing the younger generation of leaders, a section that doesn't always get along with older leaders, prompting spats like that in Rajasthan between Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot.

Siddaramaiah vs DKS Spat

Siddaramaiah and DKS squabbled over the top job after the 2023 election.

A disgruntled DKS had to settle for the deputy's post after the party made its choice. He remained boss of the state unit as compensation; a compromise that violated the 'one man, one post' rule.

After the 2023 election, while the Siddaramaiah-DKS spat was on, there were rumours the two would each become Chief Minister for 2.5 years. Those rumours were rubbished by the party and the two leaders, but DKS loyalists have made multiple references to that 'deal' in recent weeks.

And in September it will be 2.5 years since Siddaramaiah became Chief Minister, prompting warnings from DKS loyalists about a change of leadership.

READ | Karnataka Congress MLA's Warning: "If Chief Minister Not Changed Now..."

On Monday the Congress attempted a show of unity between the two warring leaders.

READ | Siddaramaiah, DKS' "United" Moment As Party Troubleshooter Lands

In Mysuru the two high-fived and held hands and, asked about senior Congress leader Randeep Surjewala's visit - seen as a troubleshooting mission authorised by the party HQ - the Chief Minister offered a polite response, "He is coming to the state to strengthen the organisation. He will do his job."

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