Doddalahalli Kempegowda Shivakumar is no stranger to fighting difficult political battles, often pulling them off on his own terms. However, the one that he is facing now within his party is undoubtedly the most demanding and consequential of all the political battles that the 63-year-old Vokkaliga strongman – often referred to as the party troubleshooter – has ever fought. The most coveted ‘CM’s gaddi’ appears to be within his striking distance.
It is unclear whether his political ambition will be fulfilled anytime soon or if his wait will be prolonged. But in the last two-and-a-half years, Shivakumar, the Deputy Chief Minister and head of the party state unit, has firmly established himself as one among the most prominent leaders in Congress and the party’s future in Karnataka. His loyalty and tenacity in accepting challenges and fighting them without giving up seem to be his major strengths. Loyalty may not be that uncommon a trait in Congress, but tenacity in the face of adversity is hard to come by.
Many of those, who closely watched his political journey from being a 27-year-old legislator in 1989 to a minister in his early 30s and now an eighth-term MLA and DyCM setting his eyes on the CM post, say that nothing came to him easily and without persistent efforts.
As political circles debate the possibility of a leadership change in the state, many often recall how Shivakumar had to wait for months before he was inducted into the cabinet after Congress came to power in 2013 under Siddaramaiah’s leadership.
Then came the worst crisis in his political life when Income Tax officials raided his house and the properties of his close associates in 2017. He was subsequently arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and sent to Tihar Jail in the national capital for 50 days. At one point, he was under the scanner of multiple central agencies. One of the richest legislators in the country was at the centre of the opposition’s criticism and under intense scrutiny.
Many assumed it would be difficult for him to bounce back. But he converted a crisis into an opportunity by gathering sympathy and support from his community and the confidence of the party’s central leaders. As KPCC president, he, along with other senior leaders, turned around the fortunes of the party that was on a losing streak. So, his staking claim for the top post after the party won 136 seats in the 2023 assembly polls did not surprise many. The win proved significant for Congress’s morale ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, and the momentum aided victories in Telangana and Himachal Pradesh.
Now, after the Congress government completed two-and-a-half years in office, Shivakumar’s camp followers hope the party high command would ensure that the CM would abide by the power-sharing agreement that was said to have been reached before the government formation after the 2023 assembly polls. While the high command has not openly admitted to a power-sharing agreement, it has also not denied it.
The silence indicates their stance on the contentious issue. However, if at all there is a change in leadership that can happen only if the party’s central leadership convinces Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
The CM enjoys considerable clout among minorities, backward classes, and Dalits, and the backing of the majority of Congress legislators. On his part, Shivakumar is popular among the party cadres and relies heavily on central leaders to reward him for his contribution to party building. As the subtle tussle continues, the leader, once known for his aggressive style of politics, is seen trying to rely more on strategic discernment, as if taking a leaf out of the famous Chinese military treatise “Art of War” by Sun Tzu that says, “He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.”
Siddaramaiah’s politics is characterised by social justice, welfare schemes and strong ideological stances against the BJP and RSS. So much so, he often faces allegations of ‘minority appeasement’. On the other hand, Shivakumar appears to be a man of big projects and talks more about generating livelihood opportunities. He also emphasises strengthening the party at the grassroots level.
At times, his detractors accuse him of flaunting soft-Hindutva as he effortlessly reels out Sanskrit shlokas, which he learnt from a home tutor in the mid-90s after he was inspired by Sathya Sai Baba’s speech. Many Congress leaders were displeased when he recited the RSS anthem in the assembly earlier this year, although he claimed it was part of his strategy to attack the BJP.
He dons diverse hats. He often says, “By birth, I am an agriculturist. By profession, I am a businessman. By choice, I am an educationist. And by passion, I am a politician.” He is now an author too. His book on water management, ‘Neerina Hejje’ (’Footprints of Water’), was released recently in Bengaluru by the CM. It looks as though he is trying to shed his aggressive image and project himself as an intellectual politician. But, at times, his blunt responses to criticism show he has a long way to go on that front.
As Water Resources Minister, he seems to be pushing hard for the implementation of the Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir project near Kanakapura, but the progress has been slow. This has been the case with other irrigation projects too. He is also the Bengaluru Development Minister, a daunting responsibility, given the numerous challenges a burgeoning metropolis like Bengaluru faces. Under him, splitting of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike into five corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) also faced flak from the opposition, which saw it as the state government’s attempt to usurp the powers of local bodies. The ambitious tunnel road project, his brainchild, has faced the ire of opposition and a section of civil society, which termed it unscientific.
Shivakumar is not the kind to give in to any criticism. At least politically, he seems to believe there is light at the end of the tunnel.