BENGALURU: In a bold display of loyalty or sheer opportunism, a cadre of new Congress MLAs are throwing their weight behind Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s long-simmering quest to succeed Siddaramaiah as CM at the middle of the present term.
But with history, alliances, and cold political math stacked against them, insiders whisper that this uprising might fizzle out soon, except that some unseen AICC leaders are stoking the fire.
Leading the charge is Ramanagara MLA Iqbal Hussain, the underdog who stunned the JDS dynasty in 2023 by edging out Nikhil Kumaraswamy by 10,715 votes. Hussain recently doubled down, predicting Shivakumar will ascend to the CM throne after January 6.
Congress veterans are scratching their heads and wondering what shields these upstarts from party discipline?
Despite a show-cause notice from the Congress high command, Hussain hasn’t bothered to respond, and sources say Delhi’s All-India Congress Committee (AICC) brass isn’t losing sleep over it.
A Congress senior leader said that it is a war of statements, MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah on one side and Hussain on the other. MLA Basavaraj Shivaganga had earlier responded to Yathindra saying he is only an MLC and that the CM is elected by MLAs.
But coming to Hussain, Ramanagara is a JDS heartland where Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy trounced him in 2018 by 22,636 votes and won it in 2013 against Congress’ Maridevaru by over 25,000.
Experts said that come 2028, with JDS cozying up to BJP, he is likely to lose as there will be no three-way split. “He knows he’s toast. Backing Shivakumar? It’s a cry from a sinking ship,” an analyst said.
Joining the chorus is Mudigere’s Nayana Motamma, who is riding on the coattails of her mother C Motamma, who is a three-time MLA (1978, 1989 and 1999) and former opposition leader.
Nayana squeaked past in the last election. But with ex-MLA MP Kumaraswamy defecting to JDS and pulling 26,000 votes and newbie Deepak Doddaiah losing by just about 700 votes, her 2028 prospects look grim. “Everyone sees the writing on the wall,” a party source smirked.
Then there’s Channagiri’s Basavaraja Shivaganga, another rookie, whose last victory is seen as a fluke that won’t be repeated. The others who are solidly supporting Shivakumar are Dr HD Ranganath, Kunigal MLA, who is incidentally the brother-in-law of the DCM, as they have married sisters. The other leader backing him is Magadi MLA HC Balakrishna, and sources said it will take much more than this to unseat Siddaramaiah.
But whispers from Delhi point to some AICC heavyweights fanning the flames, egging on DKS’ power play. His “prepare for change” quips only rekindle rumours, but have been yielding zilch.
A fresh MLA prediction that pegs power change to January 6 – likely 2026, echoes only Hussain’s empty bravado. But with Siddaramaiah holding steady and no high command crackdown, this feels less like revolution and more like rebellion on borrowed time.
BJP LEADER SOMANNA BATS FOR DR G AS CM
Amid the ongoing leadership tussle between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and DCM DK Shivakumar, BJP leaders on Saturday said that “well-behaved” Home Minister Dr. G Parameshwara should get the top post.
Union MoS for Railways and Jal Shakti V Somanna made the statement while sharing the dais with Parameshwara and Tumakuru Rural BJP MLA B Suresh Gowda at the foundation laying event for railway over bridges at Heggere and Pandithanahalli.
Gowda, speaking earlier, also said that Parameshwara should become the CM. “What B Suresh Gowda, said is hundred percent true. I too desire that Parameshwara become the CM. More than my own desire, the people of the district have a desire. The first person who greeted me after I became the Union minister was Parameshwara,” Somanna said.
Gowda then intervened, taunting what would be the fate of DK Shivakumar who hails from Somanna’s home town. “It is secondary as fate plays a big role and behaviour is still a big deal”, he said.
“It was a stroke of luck, he (Parameshwara) never dreamed that he would become the Home Minister”, he added.