The long-running tussle between Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar has sharpened into a full-blown political and caste-driven confrontation, following a high-level meeting at Siddaramaiah’s Bengaluru residence on Thursday. What began as a leadership dispute inside the Congress has now morphed into a “Vokkaliga vs Ahinda” narrative, raising tensions within the party.
Senior leaders Satish Jarkiholi and G Parameshwara attended the meeting, both playing key roles as the crisis deepens. Parameshwara is being viewed as a potential compromise candidate if neither Siddaramaiah nor Shivakumar backs down. Meanwhile, Jarkiholi eyeing the state Congress President post currently held by DKS has emerged as a rallying point for those opposed to Shivakumar.
The immediate trigger for the flare-up was the growing momentum behind the “Vokkaliga CM” demand, especially after prominent religious leader Nirmalanandanatha Swamiji publicly endorsed Shivakumar. His supporters have highlighted his “loyalty to the party” and “years of service,” pressing the central leadership to replace Siddaramaiah.
Siddaramaiah’s camp believes the push is creating a caste imbalance narrative, suggesting a dominant community is being denied power. They counter that Siddaramaiah’s Ahinda support minorities, OBCs and Dalits makes him indispensable to the party’s electoral fortunes.
DK Shivakumar, credited with shifting a large chunk of Vokkaliga votes to the Congress during the 2023 polls, expected to become chief minister after that victory. However, most MLAs backed Siddaramaiah, forcing him to settle for the deputy role and retain the state Congress chief post.
Tensions escalated after DKS’ supporters revived claims of a “half-term CM deal” that allegedly required Siddaramaiah to step down last week. Siddaramaiah’s loyalists, disturbed by ongoing pressure tactics, now plan to highlight several “issues” with DKS, including his controversial jail visit to meet arrested Congress MLAs.
Sources say Siddaramaiah’s faction is prepared to rush to Delhi if the party leans toward handing power to Shivakumar, and may even present alternative candidates signaling how deep the divide has become inside Karnataka’s ruling Congress.
