New Delhi, Jan 23 (IANS) If anybody thought that persuading Karnataka Congress leader D.K. Shivakumar to participate in the World Economic Forum in the sub-zero climes of Davos would freeze his Chief Ministerial aspirations, nothing could be more wrong. At the most, it served buying some time.
And now, if there are any expectations that the party central leadership will wave a magic wand to render all-is-well as he returns, that too may be far removed from reality.
Karnataka’s Congress is locked in a high-stakes leadership tussle between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM Shivakumar that has intensified, risking governance and credibility ahead of multiple state polls.
High-stakes elections are expected soon in West Bengal, Assam, and the two Southern states adjoining Karnataka – Tamil Nadu and Kerala, along with the union territory of Puducherry.
The current crisis evolves from a long-time power‑sharing expectation – widely reported as a 2.5‑year rotation deal after the Congress’s 2023 victory – has resurfaced, with Shivakumar’s camp pressing for a change and Siddaramaiah insisting on completing his full term.
Shivakumar initially cancelled and later rescheduled the Davos trip amid Delhi meetings with central leadership, fuelling speculation about the Deputy CM’s ambitions and the High Command’s indecision. The episode has all the elements of the previous Rajasthan script, where Delhi leadership’s uncertainty in addressing a similar power struggle between the then Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his deputy Sachin Pilot cost the Congress dearly at the hustings.
Gehlot and Siddaramaiah are both septuagenarian leaders, where the former, during his days in power, was said to enjoy the support of a larger number of MLAs than the deputy, as the Karnataka CM is now said to hold in Karnataka. Both are reported to have considerable following with a proven record of deft handling of poll and political situations – leading New Delhi to handle them gingerly so as they are not upset.
In comparison, Shivakumar, at 63, and Sachin Pilot, at 48, are comparatively younger. However, the Karnataka leader may be in a hurry since he has less time in hand to have a long stint in an office that most regional satraps aspire to. In both instances, the younger leader has made intense and repeated attempts at having Rahul Gandhi’s attention. At least in one case, the Gandhi scion appeared to have had more important things on hand than addressing an organisational disorder and disaster.
Karnataka’s prolonged factionalism has led to several exchanges of text messages, missed phone calls, many Bengaluru-New Delhi travels, and a few bilateral and multilateral meetings – including one on airport tarmac, without a solution in sight. This unresolved tug-of-war now not only jeopardises Congress’s stability in Karnataka, but even its prospects in the upcoming Assembly polls, and an erosion in relying on party leadership.
The party High Command’s delay in settling the issue is deepening factionalism, risking administrative paralysis and voter disillusionment ahead of the elections. Both the Karnataka leaders have signalled willingness to follow the central leadership’s decision, but the latter appears to be procrastinating.
Meanwhile, the indecision could allow opposition parties to exploit the situation at any time, despite the ruling party having 136, with the support of four other MLAs among the state Assembly’s total strength of 224.
Though Congress party President Mallikarjun Kharge has positioned himself as a mediator, he has iterated that it will be with the Gandhis’ consent and their involvement. Some reports have cited a possible reason as the future of his son, Priyank Kharge, currently a minister in Karnataka.
–IANS
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