"DK Shivakumar Not Here, Right?" Siddaramaiah Irked On Party Event Dais

The unease within the Karnataka government over the Chief Minister post played out on the stage of an event in Mysuru district yesterday, when Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was irked by a suggestion to name Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar in his address.

The Chief Minister was speaking at Sadhana Samavesha, an event organised to highlight the Congress government's achievements and to announce new projects. Mr Shivakumar was also present, along with other top faces of the state government. After addressing the event, Mr Shivakumar cited an emergency and left for Bengaluru.

When Mr Siddaramaiah took the podium, he did not mention Mr Shivakumar while introducing the dignitaries. When prompted, the Chief Minister was irked. "DK Shivakumar is not here, right? Please go sit down. What kind of lawyer are you?" he told the Congress leader who approached him with the suggestion to name the Deputy Chief Minister.

"DK Shivakumar has gone back to Bengaluru. You have to mention the names of people on the dais, not those who have left. That's the protocol to invite those who are here, not those seated at home, you advocates should understand that," the Chief Minister said, visibly annoyed. A video of his response has started doing the rounds on social media.

The Chief Minister's response played out against the backdrop of a tussle within the Karnataka government over the Chief Minister's post and the Opposition BJP's claims that Mr Shivakumar may replace Mr Siddaramaiah.

The Congress high command has indicated that it has no plan to change the Karnataka Chief Minister. Siddaramaiah has trashed speculation about his exit, and Mr Shivakumar has publicly said he would back him, but the tension between the two has often emerged at public events.

This unrest goes back to the 2023 election result in which Congress scored a thumping win. At the time, Mr Shivakumar was considered a strong contender for the top post for his role in the Congress win. Eventually, the Congress leadership managed to convince him to settle for the Deputy Chief Minister and state party chief posts. Some reports had then claimed that an agreement of rotational chief ministership had been reached, but this was never confirmed.