The current crisis in the Congress over the chief minister’s post continues to undermine the government’s work. The party’s top leadership saw it coming – since May 2023 – but did nothing decisively to prevent it. Now, as patience is wearing thin for the dramatis personae in the internal power play, the top brass has stepped in to cool the tempers of its state leaders, but there is no easy way for it to deal with the crisis.
The power struggle is intensifying after the government crossed the halfway mark of its five-year term earlier this week. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s respective camps appear to be making every effort to outdo the other, putting the party high command in a bind.
Legislators rushing to the national capital to lobby with central leaders; ministers holding dinner meetings, apparently to discuss political strategies; Shivakumar visiting the central prison to meet two of his party MLAs housed as under-trial prisoners; and some legislators openly appealing for the central leadership’s intervention to end the confusion, indicate rumblings in the party.
Those privy to the unfolding developments in the Grand Old Party see them as an effort by Shivakumar to keep his claim for the top post alive while Siddaramaiah continues to firmly assert himself.
Siddaramaiah’s repeated claims that he would present the next state budget and continue as the CM for the full five years convey a clear message to his political detractors within the party, as well as to the officials.
The CM’s attempts to end the political uncertainty that is taking a toll on the administration are welcome, though it is unclear if this will yield results. At the same time, it appears that the CM is also sending out a subtle message to the central leadership to pre-empt any attempts by his detractors to unseat him.
In the current scenario, especially after Congress and allies faced a crushing defeat in Bihar, Congress-led I.N.D.I.A bloc – a much-hyped political alliance to counter the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) – is falling apart, even as elections in neighbouring Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, West Bengal and Assam are likely to be held early next year. Many in the party believe the high command is likely to prefer a status quo approach, rather than taking any risks. For Congress, Karnataka is a very important state, one of the few where it retains power. AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, too, would be wary of any political instability in his home state, as that would not bode well for his image as an astute administrator and leader.
If at all the central leadership is contemplating any move to make major changes in the government, it must be done by taking Siddaramaiah into confidence. Shivakumar’s followers are of the view that a power-sharing agreement was reached between the CM and DyCM in the presence of Kharge and AICC General Secretaries KC Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala, and that Siddaramaiah will be convinced to abide by it.
But, by pushing for a cabinet reshuffle, the CM has made clear his intentions of continuing in power and also bringing in new vigour to the administration. It is not clear if the high command green-lights the cabinet reshuffle. The central leadership may not immediately allow Siddaramaiah to reshuffle the cabinet, thereby giving the impression that all options are open. That would also keep Shivakumar’s claim alive. The central leadership cannot afford to antagonize Shivakumar either, as that would send a wrong message to party loyalists.
Siddaramaiah’s camp appears to be making efforts to undermine Shivakumar’s influence in the government and the party by demanding the creation of more Deputy Chief Minister posts and a change of state Congress president. “They have been organising dinner meetings for the last two-and-a-half years, demanding four to five DyCMs and a change of KPCC president. Let them organise more such dinner meetings,” Shivakumar stated, responding to mediapersons’ question on the dinner meeting hosted by Siddaramaiah loyalist and PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi. Shivakumar’s sharp remarks suggest the impending crisis in the Congress.
Although top leaders maintain that all is fine and the party is capable of taking appropriate action when required, it appears otherwise. But, strangely, instead of looking the problem in its eyes, some of its senior leaders, including Surjewala, blame the opposition BJP and a section of the media for “running a maligning campaign against Karnataka and its Congress Government.”
Instead of blaming the media for what the party calls its ‘internal issue,’ wouldn’t it be better for the central leaders to make it clear if Siddarmaiah would continue as the CM for the remaining term, or if they will make Shivakumar the CM during this tenure? Failure to answer those questions in an unambiguous manner and settle the leadership issue once and for all will continue to impact the administration in the second half of the tenure as well.