Months Of Wait, 6-Hour Meet, Presser: Unpacking The Karnataka Power Game

It was made clear at the outset: no questions will be taken.

Congress's KC Venugopal, flanked by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar, took centrestage.

"Silence, please, friends," Rajya Sabha MP and Karnataka Congress in charge Randeep Surjewala implored the reporters gathered at Indira Bhavan in Delhi.

The anticipation rose. 

"A short statement will be made by KC Venugopal. At this point we will not be taking any questions. I also request you: for heaven's sake, stop your speculation now," Surjewala added, referencing the huge buzz around the leadership change in Karnataka.

Bursts of laughter could be heard. 

"That they will do. Don't worry about it," a smiling Venugopal said, amusing both Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar.

KC Venugopal began speaking.

"Today, we had a detailed meeting with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi. Of course, Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar and general secretary in charge of Karnataka and myself were part of the discussion. The entire discussion was only concentrated on the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections and Council elections of Karnataka. Whatever speculation you people are doing that is only speculation, no reality at all," he said.

Then, as if to reiterate, he repeated himself. 

"Today we discussed the Rajya Sabha seats and Council seats of Karnataka. The candidates of Rajya Sabha seats and Council seats will be announced along with other seats, like Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan. That's all we have decided today. Nothing else was discussed today," he said after a series of meetings, spanning six hours.

And then they all turned their backs to the cameras.

A chorus of "sir, sir" went up as the leaders continued walking.

Surjewala again reminded: "I already said we will not take any questions". 

They kept walking.

Never believe a rumour till it is officially denied, they say.

The Congress just did that: officially and in front of the press.

A short while later, Congress sources indicated that the party high command backs DK Shivakumar as Chief Minister, while offering Siddaramaiah a Rajya Sabha seat.

All this, after the party went public that no discussion around Karnataka leadership was held.    

Of the four Rajya Sabha seats getting vacant in Karnataka, the Congress can win three seats and the BJP one.

Mallikarjun Kharge's Rajya Sabha seat is getting vacant in June and he is likely to be re-elected from Karnataka.

The party may also field Shivakumar's brother DK Suresh as one of the Rajya Sabha candidates. 

There's tension between the top two leaders in Karnataka, but the Congress appears to be playing cool.

Let's try to unpack what happened today with some recent history.

In the lead-up to the Delhi meeting, 77-year-old Siddramaiah said he was "summoned" to the national capital and did not know the subject of discussion. 

The Chief Minister, along with some cabinet colleagues and close aides, flew in a chartered plane to Delhi.

"I have been summoned to Delhi. I don't know the subject of discussion. I have a meeting scheduled at 11am (Tuesday). Speculation will always be there," the Chief Minister said yesterday.

DK Shivakumar did not accompany the Chief Minister on his chartered plane. 

"Will go to Delhi if the high command calls. Not my job to comment on Chief Minister change," Shivakumar had said on Monday.

A few hours after that comment, Shivakumar took a late-night Air India flight and landed in Delhi. 

Asked about a possible leadership change a week before, Shivakumar gave a cryptic "good time will come" reply. 

Tuesday arrived.

The day began with Siddaramaiah, along with several of his ministers, eating breakfast at Karnataka Bhavan in Delhi. DK Shivakumar was a notable exception.

"There has been confusion in the party for the past six months, and we are confident that it will be cleared soon. We have not received any call from the high command, and we have come along with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The discussions have not started yet. Once the meeting is over, we will see how the discussions take shape," PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi, who was present during breakfast with the Chief Minister, said. 

"We will also give our opinions on the post of KPCC President. We do not know whether this matter will be discussed in the meeting. The party is facing many issues, and if the leadership issue is settled, everything else will get settled automatically," Jarkiholi stated, adding that the entire party would abide by the high command's decision.

Last December, the highly publicised idli, dosa meeting between Siddaramaiah and his Deputy in Bengaluru was to send out the message that all is well.

They both met because the High Command instructed them to talk to each other and send out a message of unity.

At the core of the leadership tangle in the southern state is Shivakumar's demand that he be elevated to the chief minister's post in accordance with a "promise" which his supporters claim was made to him during state assembly elections in 2023.

The issue has been on the slow burner since then.

In January this year, Siddaramaiah made history by becoming the longest-serving Chief Minister of Karnataka, surpassing the previous record held by Congress stalwart D Devaraj Urs.

And the chorus for Shivakumar again picked up. 

The decision on a possible change in leadership was again put on hold until Kerala and Tamil Nadu elections.

Elections over, the buzz again picked up. 

The crisis showed signs of a renewed eruption last week around Shivakumar's birthday when his supporters put up "Next CM" posters at Congress offices and also brought cakes with the same message.

Then came the Delhi meeting.

The Congress said it's "speculation" and moved on.

But, the signs on the ground suggest, it is not this simple. 

The speculation continues.