DK Shivakumar Loyalist Claims M Kharge's "Assurance" In Chief Minister Row

The Congress' Karnataka troubles ramped up a notch Friday after Ramanagara MLA Iqbal Hussain – who has publicly backed DK Shivakumar to replace Siddaramaiah as Chief Minister – claimed an "assurance" from party boss Mallikarjun Kharge that "everything will be fine".

Hussain told NDTV's Reethu Rajpurohit on the phone that Kharge had sought the opinion of lawmakers backing DKS and told them he will consult the party's core leadership on this issue.

"DK Shivakumar has struggled and put effort to bring the party to the power in Karnataka. He deserves to be the Chief Minister… he has potential and so we requested the high command, and Siddaramaiah, to give DK Shivakumar a chance to become the new Chief Minister."

Kharge, Hussain told NDTV, had sought a week's time. "… he wanted to talk to all the high command (about) these things. So, they need some time. We are hopeful we will get justice."

Neither the Congress nor Kharge have commented so far.

On DKS' chief ministerial qualifications, he praised his "potential" and then seemed to put pressure on the Chief Minister, declaring, "We have hopes from Siddaramaiah sir… we have very good hope because everyone knows he is a very good, honest, and sincere person."

The Congress' Karnataka MLA, Iqbal Hussain, spoke exclusively to NDTV (File).

"And he keeps his word. He will understand the situation and he will respect (it)," Hussain told NDTV, echoing comments by DKS' younger brother, DK Suresh earlier this week.

Suresh had said the Chief Minister 'is not the kind of person who will go back on his word'.

Hussain was among a group of Karnataka lawmakers, including Agriculture Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy, who made a late Thursday trip to Delhi to meet Congress bosses.

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And at least a dozen more are expected today, meaning picket lines are being drawn for another round of 'I want to be Chief Minister' between the Congress' two seniormost Karnataka leaders.

From the opposing camp, i.e., the faction backing Siddaramaiah, which includes Home Minister G Parameshwara and Public Works Minister Satish Jarikholi, has pointed furiously to the letter from the Congress HQ confirming their man as Chief Minister after the 2023 election win.

The letter, their argument is, states that Siddaramaiah will serve the full five-year term.

Asked about that contention, Hussain offered a diplomatic response, telling NDTV, "That is what… we have some discipline in the Congress and we have to obey the high command."

"But," he concluded, "We hope we will get justice…"

The DKS camp's march to Delhi today is significant because November 20 (i.e., Thursday) was the half-way point of Siddaramaiah's five-year term. There are rumours – never denied by the party – of an 'agreement' that will see the latter step down in favour of DKS at this point.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah (File).

Siddaramaiah, though, has always refused such talk and has repeatedly said he will complete his term. He did so again this week, after the comments by DK Suresh, saying, "… my power hasn't gone... it has only gotten stronger. It will continue to remain so. I won't comment on what DK Suresh said but the people voted for us and we will focus on delivering on our promises."

Nevertheless whispers of a deal persist, leading to talk of a 'November revolution' – a potential leadership change in the southern state, one of only three the Congress rules on its own.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar (File)

The entire feud seemed to have been settled in June after Congress troubleshooter Randeep Surjewala was flown down to Bengaluru. Surjewala, who negotiated the 2023 peace, was clear the party had no plans to change its Karnataka leader.

READ | "Answer Is No": Congress Not Considering Karnataka Chief Minister Change

But DKS' camp made equally clear, despite their man publicly asking them to stand down, that they would continue demanding a change in the state's top leadership. Hussain, in fact, is among Shivakumar's most vocal supporters; in July he said 100 MLAs would back Shivakumar.

Those remarks came at a delicate time for a ruling party trying to put out fires within its ranks. Shivakumar, possibly urged to by the Congress' central leadership, shut down talk of a rift.

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Against all of this machination, DKS' remarks this week about resigning as boss of the party's state unit raised eyebrows. Siddaramiah's faction has always argued Shivakumar cannot be Chief Minister as long as he remains in that position. Stepping down will negate that argument.