BENGALURU: Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who reiterated that he will lead the party in 2028 in whichever post he would be, appears to be keen to prove his organisational capabilities in the polls to local bodies before staking claim to the CM’s post. His statement is being interpreted in political circles as his aspiration to lead the party as chief minister.
He met AICC general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal in New Delhi on Tuesday and discussed strategies to strengthen the party for the 2028 Assembly polls. Asked whether he requested Venugopal to let him continue as KPCC president, Shivakumar said it is false. “All this is fabricated news,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
It is said that when Congress came to power in 2023, Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah, Venugopal and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge arrived at an agreement that the CM’s post would be shared equally between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar during the five-year term.
Now, the party high command is working out a formula for the smooth transfer of power after Siddaramaiah completes seven years (including tenure in 2013-18) and 238 days as CM, breaking the record of former CM late D Devaraj Urs in January 2026.
According to one formula, if Shivakumar gets the CM’s post, RDPR Minister Priyank Kharge would be considered for the DCM post under the Dalit quota and Siddaramaiah’s son and MLC Dr Yathindra, a Kuruba, would be made a minister. The KPCC president’s post would go to a leader hailing from the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community, a Congress leader said.
On the intense debate over his statement that the next election will be held under his leadership, Shivakumar said, “The party has raised me as a minister since the 1990s. They made me party president for five years and now they have given me the post of DCM. After all this, if I do not show my face and work for Congress, how can my leadership be justified? Has Congress given me so much power to sit at home? No matter what position I hold, I will lead the party.”
He indirectly said he has emerged as a pan-India leader with the party calling him to Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, New Delhi, Assam, Bihar and Himachal Pradesh to campaign for polls.
“In 2013, I was the campaign committee president and in the last election, I was the party president. Now I am DCM. I should use my ability and experience. Siddaramaiah will also lead the party. He has been the Leader of the Opposition for two terms and CM for two terms. We will move forward under collective leadership,” he said.
Asked if Siddaramaiah will continue as CM till the next elections, he said, “Our party has elected Siddaramaiah as CM. I am the DCM and KPCC president, and I respect the party’s decision.”