Editorial: Karnataka’s power struggle continues

For now, the embers of the fragile egos remain unaddressed, with the hope that the warring groups will not precipitate matters until the 2028 Assembly elections

The breakfast diplomacy has failed to break the logjam in Karnataka’s power tussle between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his ambitious deputy DK Shivakumar. After gorging over sumptuous South Indian delicacies of idli and upma, the two warring leaders had to eat their own words and put up a show of unity before the media. As is the normal practice for Congress leaders engaged in a power battle, both vowed to abide by the decision of the high command and, in a good old-fashioned way, went on to blame the media for creating the crisis. What was supposed to be a truce meeting over breakfast at the Chief Minister’s residence in Bengaluru ended up being a choreographed performance to send a message of cohesion. It was not clear what strategy the party high command has in mind to resolve the deepening leadership crisis in the State. And, Mallikarjuna Kharge being at the organisational helm has not helped matters in his home State. For now, the embers of the fragile egos are left unaddressed in the hope that the warring groups won’t precipitate matters till the next Assembly elections, due in 2028. A key takeaway from Karnataka’s unending political drama is that the party’s ability to negotiate with powerful regional leaders has weakened considerably. This is due to a series of electoral debacles that the Congress has suffered in recent times. Moreover, the scars of Madhya Pradesh, where its government collapsed due to an internal power struggle over five years ago, are still fresh in Congress’ memory.

The Congressmen in Karnataka are divided into two camps, with supporters of Siddaramaiah rooting for him to complete his full term while backers of Shivakumar believe it’s “now or never” for their leader to occupy the coveted post. An increasingly restless Shivakumar is staking his claim to the chief ministership, citing a purported rotational power arrangement. This has put the party high command in a fix. Complicating matters further, several other leaders sense an opportunity in this chaos, including veterans like G Parameshwara, MB Patil and Satish Jarkiholi. The caste dynamics add another layer of complexity. Siddaramaiah represents the OBC community and has carefully nurtured a support base comprising a coalition of minorities, backward classes, and Dalits. A resourceful Shivakumar, on the other hand, hails from the influential Vokkaliga community, which has traditionally wielded significant political power in Karnataka. Despite his clean image and vast administrative experience, Siddaramaiah is still seen in some quarters as an outsider, as he had moved to the Congress from the Janata Dal (Secular) in 2006 and became Chief Minister in 2013. However, he enjoys the confidence of the Gandhi family since his OBC plank aligns with the party’s national strategy of consolidating backward class votes. It is feared that a change of guard at this juncture could undermine this broader political narrative.

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