Siddaramaiah Pushing For Multiple Deputy Chief Ministers, Will DK Shivakumar Agree?

Even as the Congress steered closer to resolving the Siddaramaiah versus DK Shivakumar power tussle in Karnataka with the leadership weighing on the side of Shivakumar, the backroom bargaining seems to have only just intensified.

The Siddaramaiah camp, NDTV has learnt, is pushing hard to keep the balance of power turning totally in favour of DK Shivakumar. Sources say that Siddaramaih will hold consultations with his supporters before agreeing to the transition. 

Demands From Siddaramaiah Camp

According to sources, the Siddaramaiah camp has made a batch of demands on the party high command before the veteran leader steps down to make way for his deputy. NDTV has learnt that Siddaramaiah camp is pushing for multiple Deputy Chief Ministers under DK Shivakumar to keep the power balance. The chief minister's camp also wants the new Karnataka Congress chief to be of their choice, as per the sources.

The latest demands are likely to the Congress high command in a bind as it may lead to multiple power centres in the state unit of the party and the government. As per sources, while DK Shivakumar is not keen on having any Deputy chief minister, he may agree to have only one if pushed. But he is unlikely to concede to multiple deputies as being demanded, sources have told NDTV. Hectic negotiations are likely to continue through the day to iron out issues.

According to sources, Shivakumar is likely to camp in Delhi today and leave for Bengaluru early on Thursday morning, where is expected to attend a breakfast meeting with the chief minister.

The Congress Transition Formula

In the Congress transition formula, sources told NDTV, Siddaramaiah has been offered a Rajya Sabha seat and asked to play a larger, national role from Delhi. He has asked for time to decide on that.

Siddaramaiah has apparently discussed the matter with his loyalists, declaring that he will "abide by the decisions of the high command". He could step down as early as Wednesday, sources said.

The Congress, which held a marathon six-hour meeting on Tuesday with both Siddarmaiah and DK Shivakumar in Delhi.

Congress's Karnataka in-charge Randeep Surjewala will reach Bengaluru on Wednesday afternoon. If the transition goes as per plan, the new government could be in place within a week, sources said.

The Power Tussle

The leadership issue in the state has been festering for over a year, with Shivakumar's supporters refusing to drop their claim that the Central leadership promised a rotating Chief Ministership when the party formed government after the 2023 assembly elections.

Shivakumar, who was one of the party's tallest leaders in the state, had been one of the contenders for the top post and accepted the post of Siddaramaiah's Deputy only after being assured of the top post after 2.5 years, they said.

Siddaramaiah insisted that a change at the top would break the pace of governance. In December, two breakfast meetings between him and Shivakumar within four days failed to resolve the impasse. At the end of last year, Siddaramaiah held all the cards, with support from around 110 MLAs of the party.

Congress Bites The Bullet

With just two years to go to the polls, the DK Shivakumar camp upped the campaign for change. Sources told NDTV that Shivakumar wants enough time to prove himself as the chief minister before the next elections. NDTV has learnt that after marathon meetings on Tuesday, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi pushed for the change. It has been learnt that Rahul Gandhi was not keen on removing Siddaramaiah as he is the only OBC chief minister among Congress' current heads of states.