Opinion | Will Congress 'High Command' Fumble Another State? Possibly

Even as the year draws to a close and the grand old party prepares to celebrate its 140th foundation day, Karnataka's 'CONG'-estion point seems to be dampening spirits.

The 83-year-old Mallikarjun Kharge is staring at the rocky politics of his home state, where a hawkish and somewhat edgy Deputy Chief Minister, DK Shivakumar, is looking for an elevation that was supposedly promised by Kharge in May 2023. Eyewitness accounts have it that it was at 51, Lodhi state, New Delhi, the residence of All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary in-charge of the organisation, KC Venugopal, where the two warring men, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, along with Kharge, had spoken twice with Rahul Gandhi over the phone, confirming the rotational chief ministerial formula. Under the arrangement, Siddaramaiah was to run Karnataka for the first two-and-a-half years - that ended last year on November 21 - and Shivakumar would take the reins for the remaining period till May 2028.

November 21 has come and gone, but there is no sign of Siddaramaiah either stepping down or accepting any truce that grants him continuation till March-May 2026. Counting on his backward class status, Rahul Gandhi's indifference and support of party MLAs (the majority of Karnataka Congress MLAs are actually more loyal to the Congress than to Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar or any regional satrap), Siddaramaiah is hoping for Shivakumar to make just one 'wrong' move to consolidate his position.

Kharge's Failures

Significantly, Karnataka is the fourth Congress-ruled state seeing such mayhem under Kharge. The current AICC chief was a party observer for Punjab when a sordid power struggle between the then state unit chief, Navjot Singh Sidhu, and Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh blew up. That led to the appointment of Charanjit Singh Channi as a compromise Chief Minister. The 'experiment', a brainchild of Kharge, ultimately backfired as Singh left the party and the Congress lost to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab.

Similarly, it was Kharge who was the point man of the Congress high command on September 25, 2022, the day Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot refused to step down or hold a meeting of the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) amid the long-festering tussle with Sachin Pilot.

In December 2018, when the Congress was selecting its Chief Minister for Chhattisgarh, Kharge, as AICC observer, had favoured Bhupesh Baghel, elbowing out TS Singhdeo. Then, too, a compromise, rotational formula was reportedly worked out. But it was never implemented.

Thus, in many ways, Karnataka exposes the Congress high command's old problem of indecision. For a party that is struggling to remain competitive nationally, Karnataka is more than just another state. It is the Congress's sole example of a functioning, full-term government with visible governance outcomes. This alone should have compelled the high command to treat the state with strategic care. Instead, the leadership appears paralysed once again, unable to convey what it intends to do with the 'secret' power-sharing promise that seemed to have brought some peace in 2023. The political temperature in Karnataka is rising.

So far, there has been no confirmation or rejection from the high quarters. This lack of clarity has created the oddest of situations: a government that is functioning on paper but is clouded by questions that refuse to go away. 

Slogans, Signals And A Growing Weariness 

One does not need sophisticated political analyses to read the signals: slogans for Shivakumar at the Mangaluru airport as Venugopal arrived, supporters in Belagavi openly invoking the name of the man they want as Chief Minister.

For any discerning political observer, the tone in these gatherings is not rebellious; it is weary. Workers are asking the party leadership to tell them where things stand. Karnataka, it needs to be emphasised again, is not Punjab, Madhya Pradesh or Rajasthan, where factional rivalry cost the Congress its governments. The stakes are higher. Karnataka has the country's tech capital, the largest urban middle class outside the North, and a political landscape that influences southern alliances. Losing grip here would not just weaken the party's state unit but also damage the party's credibility nationally at a time when it badly needs a success story.

While it is true that Siddaramaiah's administration has achieved significant welfare consolidation, equally important is the governance momentum created by Shivakumar, particularly in Bengaluru. The Greater Bengaluru Authority overhaul, the improved coordination in infrastructure works and the dialogue with industry leaders who once criticised the government - these are not small achievements. They have helped rebuild trust in a government that inherited a deeply fractured civic ecosystem.

Indecision As A Roadblock

The Congress leadership has to acknowledge that reforms of this magnitude require a clear chain of command. As senior ministers and departments quietly look for signs of a leadership change, governance has inevitably taken a hit. The uncertainty is beginning to take a toll: decisions that should have taken weeks are taking months; ministers are avoiding important initiatives. 

After the Bihar loss, the Congress needs to demonstrate that it can run a government without falling victim to its usual habits, such as infighting. Karnataka is the party's best chance to show that it can make tough decisions instead of procrastinating indefinitely. On the contrary, each day of silence from Delhi is strengthening the perception that the Congress is still troubled by its old problem of indecisive leadership. The party cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the past.

Shivakumar is not merely another claimant to the chair. He is the man who held the Congress together during its lowest phase, delivered its biggest southern mandate in years and forged dialogue among sceptical industry voices instead of confrontation. The Congress cannot pretend that Karnataka's rising impatience is an illusion. It is visible at airports, at district events, and in the quiet remarks of legislators who want the party to show consistency. Any further delay risks turning restlessness into resentment.

Karnataka is the Congress's opportunity to prove it can govern with discipline and clarity. The party has a choice: step in now, settle the leadership question and turn a moment of confusion into stability - or, let drift set in and watch its strongest state become another cautionary tale. Delhi must decide. 

(Rasheed Kidwai is an author, columnist and conversation curator)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author