Karnataka suspense lingers as Siddaramaiah, DK Shivakumar lay claim for CM chair

The Congress leadership met Karnataka chief ministerial aspirants Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar in New Delhi on Tuesday but both sides refused to cede ground despite hectic negotiations as the party grappled to strike a delicate balance that would satisfy the two stalwarts.

Fresh from its impressive victory in the southern state, the Congress tried to resolve the impasse with a bouquet of options presented to both leaders — this included making Siddaramaiah chief minister and Shivakumar his deputy, with control over a bunch of key portfolios such as finance — but failed to break the deadlock as both men held their ground, people aware of the developments said.

Also read: DK Shivakumar meets Kharge after Rahul Gandhi gives his choice for Karnataka CM

Parleys between the top leadership spilled late into the evening and will continue on Wednesday, when the high command may again meet the two leaders. The party is keen to take both leaders on board before publicly announcing a decision to project a united front and keep the momentum from its biggest election win in nearly five years in the run-up to the 2024 polls.

Shivakumar — the Karnataka state unit chief who initially said on Monday that he will not travel to Delhi before changing his mind late in the evening — landed in the Capital around in the morning on Tuesday. He met party chief Kharge 5.30pmfor nearly an hour. In the evening, around 6.30pm, former chief minister Siddaramaiah also met Kharge for nearly an hour

In the afternoon, around 12.30pm, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi met Kharge at the latter’s residence. Party general secretary for organisation, KC Venugopal, and general secretary in charge of Karnataka, Randeep Surjewala, were also present. Both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar stayed back in Delhi.

“Appointing a chief minister is not an easy thing. It cannot be imposed from Delhi... Everybody’s view has to be taken into consideration…you’ll know the answer in a day or two,” said party spokesperson Pawan Khera.

The Congress won its biggest victory in Karnataka since 1989 on Saturday, trouncing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on its way to security 135 seats in the 224-member assembly.

Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar were the two main architects of this impressive performance and took care to project a united front on the campaign trail. But since Sunday evening, when the Congress legislature party passed a one-line resolution empowering the high command to pick the next chief minister, their clashing amibitions have spilled out in the open, creating a logjam that the party has found difficult to resolve.

The Congress observers have already asked newly elected legislators who they prefer as chief minister. Their report to the high command mentions that at least 85 lawmakers backed Siddaramaiah, said people aware of developments.

But Shivakumar, the party’s southern strongman who is also its chief troubleshooter, appeared in no mood to back down. He told Kharge not to look at the number of members of legislative assembly (MLAs) supporting Siddaramaiah but at his contribution as the state unit chief instead, said the people cited above.

Congress leaders said Shivakumar was offered the deputy chief minister’s position with two key ministries of his choice, including the finance ministry. But the 60-year-old rejected the offer and maintained that he should be made CM. These leaders said that Shivakumar told the leadership how he rebuilt the party organisation single-handedly after the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition government collapsed in 2019 following a rebellion.

But the leader was careful in scotching speculation that he would rebel against the party, saying the Congress was like his mother and there was no question of his resigning from the organisation.

“We have built this party. No question,” he said when asked about reports that he may resign from the party if not given the CM’s post. “If any channel is reporting that I am resigning from the post, I will file a defamation case against them,” he added.

Siddaramaiah, too, made a strong pitch in his meeting with Kharge. He highlighted how he brought together a rainbow coalition of castes, known as Ahinda, that comprised backward groups, Dalits and Muslims, and propelled the Congress to victory. “He also pointed out the various achievements of the Congress government that came to power in 2013 (Siddaramaiah was the CM) and the need to send a larger message ahead of the 2024 election,” said people aware of developments.

The Congress’s dilemma is due to the contrasting but equally powerful political strengths of the two contenders. Siddaramaiah, 76, is the popular face of the party who is not only the tallest Kuruba (OBC) leader but is also known for his welfare outreach, something that helped him resurrect the Congress’s Ahinda coalition after nearly five decades.

Also read: Karnataka conundrum: Rahul Gandhi steps in as DK Shivakumar arrives in Delhi

The younger Shivakumar doesn’t have as impressive a mass base but is a key organisation and resources man who is also the party’s chief troubleshooter, having saved Congress governments and safeguarded legislators in the past. He also hails from the dominant Vokkaliga community, which was key to the party’s superlative performance in the southern parts of the state, and has the backing of some influential mutts.

The Congress is keen to avoid a repeat of Madhya Pradesh, where the Congress government collapsed mid-term after winning in the 2018 assembly elections, Rajasthan, where an open rebellion by senior leader Sachin Pilot against chief minister Ashok Gehlot continues to roil the party, or Chhattisgarh, where the rivalling ambitions of chief minister Bhuspesh Baghel and senior leader TS Singh Deo have led to periodic outbursts.

Meanwhile, the prolonged stalemate in Karnataka has sparked other ambitions. A section of the Congress is pushing for a chief minister from the scheduled caste (SC) communities that voted in large numbers for the party. “With Mayawati losing much of her party’s strength and the death of Ramvilas Pawan, the choice of the CM can send a wider message to the SC community,” said a former Rajya Sabha member, requesting anonymity.

The decision, however, is likely to be between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.