Karnataka is again living through a crisis that feels eerily familiar. Over the last week senior Congress leaders, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar, moved from open rivalry to a breakfast featuring upma, idli, and sambar. The current contest evokes strong parallels to a previous chapter in Karnataka's political history which offers a cautionary tale.
In 2006-07 an ostensibly stable pact between the Janata Dal (Secular) (JDS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a rotational power-sharing arrangement collapsed into political acrimony, resignations and a period of President's Rule. The episode involved a familiar cast of JD(S) chief HD. Kumaraswamy and BJP stalwart BS Yediyurappa.
What Happened In 2006-07
In the aftermath of the 2004 Assembly elections, no party secured a majority resulting in a three-way split between the Congress, JD(S), and BJP. The JD(S)-Congress alliance first formed the government, but by 2006, JD(S), under Kumaraswamy, had switched allegiances to the BJP.
The bargain was a 20-month rotational chief-ministership with Kumaraswamy going first.
The arrangement was supposed to provide a stable alternative to Congress rule. But soon, cracks appeared. Corruption allegations and clashes over prominent infrastructure projects marred the relationship between the JD(S) and the BJP.
As the 20-month mark approached in late 2007, the JD(S) led by the father-son duo of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy balked at handing over power. The BJP felt betrayed and the coalition imploded.
Kumaraswamy resigned in October 2007, the Governor recommended dissolution, President's Rule was imposed, and in the chaos that followed Yediyurappa's first chief-ministerial stint in November 2007 lasted only days. Kumaraswamy accused central BJP leaders of conspiring while BJP accused JD(S) of reneging.
In May 2008, fresh elections were called and the BJP emerged victorious, winning 110 seats
Parallels With Today
In both cases two very senior leaders appear to be at the centre of a power tussle. In 2007 commentators argued that delays and indecision by national leaders and conflicting directions from national offices accelerated collapse. Today too commentators are asking whether the Congress high command has acted quickly or decisively enough to resolve the Siddaramaiah-Shivakumar standoff before it reaches a point of no return.
Then, the alliance between JD(S) (primarily Vokkaliga-leaning leadership) and BJP sought to capture multiple caste blocs for power. Now, caste organisations within Karnataka are warning that sidelining Shivakumar could alienate Vokkaliga votes.
In 2006, the rotational Chief Ministership was accepted as a necessity and in 2025, similar rumours of a two-and-a-half-year power-sharing agreement have taken hold.
