Well, Siddaramaiah left the post of CM in three years, if not two and a half years. As per the promise of the high command, the path for DK Shivkumar has now been cleared. The tradition of jointly enjoying power during a five-year tenure started in India and is still limited only here. First of all, in 1995, when a joint government of Shiv Sena and BJP was formed in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena’s Manohar Joshi became the Chief Minister as per the contract of two and a half years, but this contract could not be implemented and Manohar Joshi remained the Chief Minister for almost four years. The remaining tenure was completed by Shiv Sena’s Narayan Rane.
After this, in 1997, a similar agreement was reached between BJP and BSP in Uttar Pradesh. Then Mayawati took command at number one. After this, the Congress high command in Chhattisgarh had talked about alternating between TS Singhdev and Bhupesh Baghel as CM.
The sweetness of saffron rice!
But no politician accepted such agreements, whether within the party or between two different parties. Bhupesh Baghel remained CM for the whole five years, but now for the first time in Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah accepted the agreement albeit with some delay but reluctantly. He has submitted his resignation to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot. Obviously the high command will hand over the command to DK Shivkumar.
DK Shivakumar and his supporters are very happy. Expressing this happiness, DK Shivakumar touched the feet of Siddaramaiah when he announced his resignation. Siddaramaiah hugged him and fed him saffron rice. It is a moment of great joy for the Congress high command that the discord that had been going on for so long was suddenly calmed down. It is true that DK Shivakumar’s hard work was behind Congress’s victory in Karnataka three years ago.
AHINDA’S STAKE
But along with this some other difficulties are standing in the way. Congress will have to immediately search for the State Congress President and will also have to satisfy many contenders for the post of Deputy Chief Minister. The first contender is Priyansh Kharge, who is the son of national president Mallikarjun Kharge. The second contender is the son of Siddaramaiah, who resigned from the post of Chief Minister.
Siddaramaiah is an experienced player in Karnataka politics. Even before this, he had been the Chief Minister of the state from 2013 to 2018. He has AHINDA’s stake as a trump card. That is, the organization of minority, backward and Dalit classes. Its foundation was laid by Devraj Ars, who was the Chief Minister of Karnataka. Its objective was to challenge Lingayat and Vokkalinga influence in Karnataka. Due to this, he was first the Chief Minister of Mysore State and then after the formation of Karnataka.
Congress troubleshooter DK Shivkumar
Siddaramaiah also adopted the same formula and due to this he completed his first term successfully. When the Congress government was formed again in the year 2023, he became the Chief Minister on the basis of a contract of two and a half years. This government came to power in the state on 20 May 2023. Siddaramaiah became the Chief Minister in this government and even after completion of two and a half years, he did not leave the throne. After three years passed and an uproar by DK Shivakumar’s supporters, he finally resigned from the post of CM on 28 May 2026. DK Shivakumar, MLA from Kanakapura seat of Bangalore, is also considered a trouble maker.
Vote bank played a role in CM selection
It is also believed that DK Shivakumar’s brain and efforts were behind the victory of Congress in 2023. He kept the party united, compromised with JDS, but in the selection for the post of Chief Minister, seniority and vote bank players got preference. It was not easy to challenge Siddaramaiah’s AHINDA. Even though Lingayats, Brahmins and Vokkalingas are sitting on influential positions in Karnataka, the votes are mostly from minorities, Dalits and backward communities.
DK Shivakumar comes from the Vokkalinga community and till now six people from this community have become Chief Minister. One Prime Minister, HD Deve Gowda, was also a Vokkalinga. Therefore, there is hatred towards this influential community in AHINDA. Siddaramaiah got the benefit of this. He was made the Chief Minister in 2023. But seeing the claim of DK Shivkumar, it was reduced to two and a half years.
How will DK remove the thorns?
Siddaramaiah is also a suffocated player. Even while leaving, they have become such enemies that it will not be easy for DK to overcome them. After Bihar, the state which conducted caste census was Karnataka. Apart from this, he also constituted a commission to gather adequate information about the economic and social condition of the backward classes. Therefore, in future, DK will have to take every step very thoughtfully. AHINDA equation will have to be considered in cabinet formation also. To counter this equation, he had announced to install the world’s largest 114-foot statue of Jesus Christ to woo the Christian community of the state, but after opposition, he had to withdraw from this work. He had asked to install this statue in Kapalibetta village of his assembly constituency Kanakapura.
From Keralam to Karnataka only the advance came
DK Shivkumar will get the throne for the remaining two years but the crown on his head will remain full of thorns. Siddaramaiah may have resigned but he is very influential within the Karnataka Congress and his vote bank is very high. It also remains to be seen how he is able to maintain the internal balance of power in the party. Anyway, Rahul Gandhi is in favor of giving preference to Dalits, backward classes and minorities in every state. It is a different matter that from Kerala to Karnataka, the influential upper castes won for the post of CM. In Kerala, Satheesan also belongs to the Nair community, which is the dominant upper caste there, and in Karnataka, DK Shivakumar also comes from the Vokkalinga community.
Siddaramaiah’s maze
Siddaramaiah has played a game while leaving. He approved the report of Backward Classes Commission Chairman Madhusudan Nayak a day before resigning. Now it will be DK Shivkumar’s compulsion to accept this. Apart from this, he has also said that since Rahul Gandhi wants some backward leaders to come on the central stage who have the capability to do something for the backward classes in the entire country. That’s why they will go to the centre. Their aim is to increase Congress’s penetration among backward classes in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. That is, he indirectly declared himself the only backward leader.
Vokkalingas and Lingayats have been opposing the report of the Backward Classes Commission. In such a situation, if Vokkalinga DK Shivakumar implements it, he will have to face opposition from his own community. Whatever happens, the coming days will be important in Karnataka politics.
Leave a Reply