BENGALURU: The Congress high command is likely to remain cautious with regard to a change in leadership in Karnataka, keeping in mind the 2028 assembly polls, winning which will mean first overcoming anti-incumbency.
The party leadership is unlikely to accede to pressure from either of the camps headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and DCM DK Shivakumar, and is likely to work out a formula based on caste combination and winnability, according to sources.
The top brass, including Congress Parliamentary Party chief Sonia Gandhi and LoP in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, will weigh the options, including that of maintaining status quo by keeping Siddaramaiah as the AHINDA face of the party and DK Shivakumar as KPCC president, besides sending AICC President Mallikarjuna Kharge as consensus CM candidate, sources added.
The outcome of the May 4 results of five state assemblies will also have a bearing on the decision. The party high command is likely to get busy if it wins Keralam, where it appears to have an edge, and forms the UDF government. “They have to resolve the issue of the Keralam chief minister if UDF gets a majority, so dealing with Karnataka’s leadership issue will not be a priority,” a Congress leader remarked.
The Siddaramaiah camp had been trying to pitch Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara as the future CM under the Dalit quota. A couple of days ago, the latter had welcomed the idea of Kharge becoming the CM, saying party leaders would accept him, given his seniority. Kharge had also clarified that the high command has not taken any decision on the Karnataka issue.
“He (Kharge) has said that for now, there is a chief minister, and the question of changing him does not arise at the moment. In our party, the AICC president is the supreme authority, along with Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and others. When word comes from the high command, we not only give respect but also accept the order,” Parameshwara told reporters on Friday, adding, “When he (Kharge) says there is no change, it is a full stop (for change in leadership).” He said that since the statement came from Kharge, it is assumed that the top brass must have held deliberations over the issue.
“The decision of Kharge, Sonia and Rahul is like ‘prasada’ (sacred offering) to us which we accept,” said DCM DK Shivakumar, reiterating his unwavering loyalty to the Congress leadership. “As a Congressman, I have been very loyal to the party. Our party leaders’ words are very important. We will go by the party’s directions,” he told reporters.