“What option do I have?” DK Shivakumar’s helplessness exposed as Siddaramaiah asserts 5-year term amid Karnataka power tussle
In a statement that perfectly reflects the deepening cracks within the Karnataka Congress, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s defeated words have reignited talk of the party’s bitter internal feud. Hours after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah confidently declared, “Yes, I will continue [as Chief Minister for five years], why do you doubt it?”, his deputy, long seen as a contender for the top post, sounded anything but content.
“What option do I have? I have to stand by him and support him,” Shivakumar told reporters, his tone betraying a mixture of resignation and frustration.
While Shivakumar brushed aside talks of discord, his choice of words tells its own story: of a leader cornered by political arithmetic, community pressures, and a high command unwilling to gamble with stability just yet.
Five years or a mid-term change?
Siddaramaiah’s declaration came as a direct snub to months of speculation over a leadership switch, driven largely by the rival camps within the party and fueled by influential religious leaders backing their caste representatives.
The Chief Minister scoffed at the idea of an imminent change, asking rhetorically, “Are they [BJP and JD(S)] the Congress high command?” But beneath the bravado lies a fragile truce stitched together after the party’s 2023 Assembly election victory.
Siddaramaiah secured the Chief Minister’s post after majority support from MLAs, leaving Shivakumar, the Vokkaliga strongman, with the deputy CM role and the KPCC President title. But the ambitions didn’t die there; they merely simmered under the surface.
Vokkaliga pressure, Lingayat bargains, and a divided Congress
The rivalry sharpened in July 2024 when Vokkaliga seer Chandrashekar Swamiji publicly urged Siddaramaiah to step down and pave the way for Shivakumar. “Everyone has enjoyed power. Our DK Shivakumar hasn’t become the Chief Minister yet. Please hand over power to him,” the seer declared at Kempegowda Jayanti, with both leaders awkwardly sharing the stage.
For Shivakumar, a key face of the Vokkaliga community that forms nearly 15% of Karnataka’s population, this endorsement was both a boost and a political trap, forcing him to walk the tightrope between ambition and party discipline.
Not to be left behind, Lingayat seers also threw their hats into the ring, demanding a share in the power pie if leadership changes occur. Prominent Lingayat voices have even suggested adding more Deputy Chief Ministers to dilute Shivakumar’s influence, a proposal some ministers aligned with Siddaramaiah are aggressively pushing.
This caste arithmetic, with religious heads increasingly dictating terms, reflects a deeper malaise within Karnataka politics: power, rather than policy, has become the currency of governance.
Shivakumar cornered: From hope to helplessness
Shivakumar’s hopes of leveraging the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to strengthen his bid for the Chief Minister’s post took a hit after his brother, D.K. Suresh, lost Bengaluru Rural — their family stronghold. Meanwhile, BJP’s C.N. Manjunath, a high-profile cardiologist and Deve Gowda’s son-in-law, added pressure by clinching a significant victory.
Having once resisted settling for second-best, Shivakumar’s latest remarks — “What option do I have?” stand in stark contrast to his earlier defiant posturing.
His camp’s quiet frustration is compounded by MLAs like Iqbal Hussain openly claiming that over 100 of Congress’s 138 legislators want Shivakumar elevated, warning that “the Congress may not return to power if the high command doesn’t act.”
But Shivakumar, aware of the high command’s hesitation, has chosen to publicly downplay the discontent, for now.
Siddaramaiah’s calculated defiance
For Siddaramaiah, survival depends on projecting strength and rallying MLAs wary of Shivakumar’s growing caste-based backing. His “bande” (rock-solid) government comment and unwavering five-year claim are calibrated to undermine rivals both within and outside the party.
Simultaneously, his camp’s push for additional deputy CMs signals an attempt to fragment community loyalties and weaken Shivakumar’s grip.
What’s ahead? A delicate truce or a brewing storm
Despite public assertions of unity, the Congress’s Karnataka model is anything but stable. With seers stirring caste loyalties, factions angling for influence, and a visibly cornered Shivakumar forced to publicly declare his helplessness, the question isn’t if the power struggle will erupt — but when.
For now, DK Shivakumar stands by Siddaramaiah, but his words echo far beyond the press briefing: “What option do I have?”
An option may emerge, sooner than Siddaramaiah hopes, or Shivakumar expects. Until then, Karnataka’s governance hangs in the balance.
News