Weigh risks of adding Dy CMs in Karnataka
Barely five months after taking charge of Karnataka, the Congress is having to deal with murmurs of discontent, with demands from legislators for a bigger share of the power pie. A few leaders are suggesting the creation of three, or even five, deputy chief ministerial posts. This is bound to rattle Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, the strongman who at times overshadows Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Shivakumar was a strong contender for the top post, but now has to play second fiddle. Others are raising the issue of caste discrimination. Lingayats, who have been part of the charmed power circle during the BJP regime, are seeking more representation; prominent leader M B Patil has made it clear that the community—which had turned its back on the Congress in the 1990s—has aspirations for a high post. Region-wise, North Karnataka is hoping for a greater say, with Satish Jarkiholi staking a similar claim.
The multiple deputy CM formula is being mooted as one method for distributing power more evenly among communities and bringing in more stability. It will also tamp down on disgruntlement among legislators ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Karnataka, with its history of coalition governments, has had several deputy CMs—Siddaramaiah was the longest serving one and S M Krishna was one, too. The BJP had three deputies for B S Yediyurappa in 2019. The Congress has a tradition of dissidence, with unhappy leaders often threatening to upend the applecart. This was apparent in Punjab and is now in Rajasthan. The party suffered a humiliating defeat in Punjab, while it is a wait-and-watch situation in Rajasthan.
This trend in the Congress is in stark contrast to the BJP, which has a regimental set-up and believes in top-down control. Dissidence is stamped out and the cadre’s motto is to follow the leader. Such unity works electoral wonders for the saffron party. The Congress, with its more consensus-seeking approach, should be wary of allowing dissidence that would make the party vulnerable just before the elections. It has won a hard victory in Karnataka and should concentrate on good governance to gain more ground. The creation of deputy CM posts would mean creating more power centres, but it could also help take everyone along. The ‘Sabka saath, sabka vikas (With everyone, progress for everyone)’ jingle could work for the Congress, too.