7 Possible Reasons Why Siddaramaiah Is Still Karnataka Chief Minister
The Congress' peace-making efforts in Karnataka have paid off, for now, after disgruntled Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar backed down in his bid to replace Siddaramaiah in the top post.
The party sent senior leader Randeep Surjewala to broker a truce between Sidda and DKS, as they are popularly called, and managed to do that; Shivakumar sat stoically by his side Tuesday afternoon as Surjewala told the press the Congress has no plans to drop Siddaramaiah as Chief Minister.
But why did DKS stand down? Shivakumar reportedly had the support of an overwhelming majority of the Congress' 138 MLAs, a claim made by one of his loyalists - Iqbal Hussain - and could point to a power-sharing deal, albeit never publicly acknowledged, after the 2023 election to make his point.
NDTV Explains | Siddaramaiah vs Shivakumar Isn't New. What Happened In 2023?
What happened in meetings between Sidda, DKS, and Surjewala will likely remain between them, to be shared only with the Congress' central leader ship, i.e., party boss Mallikarjun Kharge and the Gandhis, but there are likely seven reasons why Siddaramaiah is still Chief Minister of Karnataka.
Sources said Sidda's behind-closed-door message to DKS was this - if you want to be Chief Minister, resign as President of the Congress' state unit. DKS, sources said, does not want to do because Siddaramaiah can then appoint a loyalist and exert proxy control.
Bihar will vote later this year. Patna is over 2,000km from Bengaluru, but the Congress is wary of the optics of sacking a leader from a marginalised community ahead of voting in a state with 64 per cent backward and extremely backward classes population. Apart from not playing out well in voters' eyes, it will also give the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal Secular fuel attack the Congress' and its alliy, the Rashtriya Janata Dal.
The third reason why Sidda's job is safe, at least till after the Bihar election (likely in October/November) is the stampede after the Royal Challengers Bengaluru won their first Indian Premier League title. Eleven people were killed as RCB tried to celebrate the win, and while the cricket team has been held 'prima facie responsible', DKS has come under fire for reportedly permitting the event despite crowd control warnings.
A fourth reason is that DKS continues to be under investigation by federal agencies, and was even jailed in 2019 - from September 3 to October 25 - over money laundering charges. The Congress, sources said, felt promoting him now exposes the party to an Arvind Kejriwal-like situation, i.e., have a sitting Chief Minister be sent to jail.
The fifth reason? Ironically Siddaramaiah's job is safe, for now, because there are multiple dark horses eyeing his job, including Congress boss Mallikarjun Kharge and his son, Priyank. Sources said the Kharge duo may put themselves forward for the post at some time, and the party is unwilling to rush now and then reconsider options later.
There is a personal angle to Siddaramaiah stubbornly holding on to the top post, according to sources. He reportedly wants the record of the longest-serving Chief Minister, a mark of seven years and 238 days held by Devraj Urs. Sidda has been Chief Minister for seven years and 48 days. Sources said he has told the Congress' central leadership he will both stand down and retire from politics, clearing the way for DKS.
That means DKS has time on his side, and he knows this. After the 2018 and 2023 wins he had been left feeling sidelined. Aware of this, and eager to avoid a repeat of Rajasthan - the Ashok Gehlot-Sachin Pilot spat- and Madhya Pradesh - between Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia - the Congress has promised Shivakumar his due.
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