Another day of parleys but Siddaramaiah, DKS firm on Karnataka CM post
As leaders shuffled in and out of meetings that ran late into the night, Congress attempted to strike a united front, scotching rumours of a rift in the party.
Karnataka chief ministerial contenders Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar met former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday but refused to agree to a compromise formula as the Congress scrambled to resolve a stalemate over the state’s top job that showed no signs of a resolution despite three consecutive days of negotiation.
As leaders shuffled in and out of meetings that ran late into the night, the Congress attempted to strike a united front, scotching rumours of a rift in the party, asking leaders to not make out-of-turn statements to the media, and saying that the government will be formed within the next 48-72 hours.
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“I have advised all Congress leaders to not issue statements on the issue of leadership. Any out-of-turn remarks made here onwards will be treated as indiscipline and action taken accordingly,” said party general secretary Randeep Surjewala.
“A clean, honest and transparent government for Karnataka is our duty and we will give the state a new government within 48 to 72 hours,” he added.
These comments assume importance because it is crucial for the Congress to resolve the impasse without public acrimony if it wants to carry the momentum from its impressive victory in Karnataka over to assembly elections scheduled later this year, and the 2024 polls. Managing the rivalling ambitions of the two architects of the Congress’s victory -- now playing out like a soap opera -- is a test for the Congress leadership, particularly party chief Mallikarjun Kharge who also hails from Karnataka. Not doing so promptly will also take some of the sheen off the historic mandate the party has won in the state.
Both Karnataka leaders continue to camp in Delhi for negotiations, but signalled that they would not cede ground.
Former CM Siddaramaiah, considered the front runner for the position, met Rahul Gandhi at Sonia Gandhi’s residence at 10, Janpath at 11.30am. His rival, Karnataka party unit chief Shivakumar, met Rahul Gandhi an hour later. Later in the day, Shivakumar met Kharge, his second meeting with the senior leader in as many days.
“Shivakumar met Kharge ji to brief him about his meeting with Rahul Gandhi. He reiterated his demand that he will either become CM or remain as an MLA. He spent almost two hours at Kharge ji’s place. He was in a good mood and chatted with Kharge ji’s staff,” said a person aware of developments.
At the meeting, Kharge told Shivakumar that the party had decided to back Siddaramaiah, said people aware of developments. Shivakumar responded by asking about an apparent promise made by then party chief Sonia Gandhi -- to make him the CM if he delivered the state -- when she visited him in Delhi’s Tihar Jail three years ago , the people cited above added. At the time, Shivakumar was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on money laundering charges.
Shivakumar was offered the post of deputy CM along with six key portfolios and his existing position as state unit chief, but the 60-year-old refused to accept anything less than the top job, the people cited above added. “We want all or nothing,” said a person in Shivakumar’s camp, requesting anonymity.
Siddaramaiah, too, stuck to his ground, pointing out to the leadership that he had the backing of over 80 lawmakers and surveys that showed people preferred him as CM, said people aware of developments. “In his meeting with Rahul Gandhi, Siddaramaiah said that he will not work under anybody in Karnataka, except Kharge,” said a senior party leader involved in the negotiations.
A second senior leader said after Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, general secretaries KC Venugopal and Surjewala continued the negotiations with the two Karnataka stalwarts. “Kharge too, is expected to meet the two aspirants again on Thursday….none of the aspirants have agreed to be rotational CM,” said the leader, requesting anonymity.
As night fell, Surjewala drove to Kharge’s residence. Later, Venugopal also arrived at Kharge’s residence.
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 party’s main campaigners and took care to project a united front on the election 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 ambitions have spilled out in the open, creating a logjam that the party has found difficult to resolve, even after three days of talks.
But the party pointed out that such protracted talks were common in Indian politics.
“I hope people questioned PM Modi when he took 7 to 10 days in deciding chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Goa and many other States. No one then whispered a word on the high command culture,” said Surjewala.
Siddaramaiah is considered the favourite because the 75-year-old is seen as the party’s most popular leader in the state, the architect of its successful Ahinda strategy of building a coalition of backward groups, Dalits and Muslims, and the man who commands the support of a majority of the elected lawmakers. He also hails from the Kuruba community and is a key other backward classes (OBC) face.
But Shivakumar dug his heels in, refusing to budge from his demand to be made CM. The 60-year-old doesn’t have as big 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 hails from the dominant Vokkaliga community, which was critical to the party’s superlative performance in the southern parts of the state, and has the backing of some influential mutts.
In negotiations, both sides have rejected a number of compromise formula on the table -- Siddaramaiah as CM and Shivakumar his deputy, Shivakumar giving up the CM’s position in return for several plum portfolios, or a rotational chief ministership – but the Congress has been careful in projecting a united face.
Both leaders also expressed a desire to meet former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, said people aware of developments. However, her office was clear in saying that she had no meetings lined up and will only come to Delhi from Himachal Pradesh on the 20th, the people cited above added.
Siddaramaiah has told the party leadership that he commands the support of the majority of legislators, and that his appointment will send out a larger message of welfare outreach ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Shivakumar, on the other hand, has repeatedly underlined how he rebuilt the party organisation single-handedly after the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition government collapsed in 2019 following a rebellion.
Neither is wrong -- but there can be only one CM.
