What’s cooking in Karnataka? Imminent cabinet reshuffle revives Siddaramaiah-Shivakumar tug-of-war

The Congress may be considering to replace DK Shivakumar as KPCC president with a leader from the Lingayat community. (File Photo: PTI)

The buzz around the Congress high command considering a long pending reshuffle of the Karnataka cabinet has given rise to the old power struggle between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar.

The aftermath of the Karnataka Assembly elections saw both top leaders dig in their heels over their claim to the post of chief minister. It took a tightrope walk by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, a veteran leader from Karnataka, to thrash out an agreement that saw Siddaramaiah being appointed CM and Shivakumar settling as his deputy along with the post of KPCC president.

Voices of dissent from both camps have been persistent in this sharply divided state unit of the Congress. However, the recent buzz over the possibility of some ministers being dropped over “non-performance” as part of the reshuffle has given rise to speculation of an impending power shift in the top order.

Taming the lion

Under fire from the Opposition over a host of scams and a below-par performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections – Congress managed to win only nine of the 28 parliamentary seats -- the party is likely to push ahead with significant changes both at the government and organisational levels. The party’s central leadership is learnt to have drawn up a list of “non-performers” who could face the axe from the state cabinet.

The last few weeks have seen hectic parleys with several incumbent ministers making a beeline to Delhi. Shivakumar, who was in the capital to attend a meeting of state unit presidents of the Congress party on Tuesday, is also camping in the capital and is expected to meet the Congress president.

The meeting comes in the backdrop of rumours that the Congress leadership may move one of the ministers from the state cabinet to the party organization to replace Shivakumar as the KPCC president.

According to The Indian Express, Congress is keen on having a Lingayat leader as its Karnataka unit president instead of Shivakumar who hails from the Vokkaliga community. The Congress’ assessment is based on the outcome of the Lok Sabha polls where Lingayats moved away from it after backing it in the Assembly elections in 2022.

Another report in The Hindu suggests there is also speculation that Dalit leaders in the state unit are rooting for a leader from their community to be appointed to the post of Deputy Chief Minister to challenge Shivakumar’s “dominance” in the affairs of the state unit.

Siddaramaiah’s bag of woes

Any attempts to tilt the scale against Shivakumar, however, will not be a cakewalk. Besides the fact that Shivakumar is as shrewd a politician as they come and displacing him could risk the stability of the Congress government, Siddaramaiah isn’t sitting pretty either.

According to a report in The Hindu, the revamp may depend on Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot’s decision on granting permission for Siddaramaiah’s prosecution in the alleged irregularities in allotment of sites by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). Gehlot is yet to take a call on the advice of the Council of Ministers to withdraw the show-cause notice issued to Siddaramaiah in the case.

Meanwhile, the Opposition heat on the government over the Chief Minister’s alleged involvement in the MUDA and Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation scams continues to grow. The BJP-JD(S) combine is keeping the pressure on the government over its demand that Siddaramaiah steps down as CM in view of the serious corruption charges against him.

No fixed timelines

Amid increasing uncertainty over the changing power dynamics in the state, the Congress remains tight-lipped over the timeframe for carrying out the Cabinet reshuffle. However, multiple leaders of Karnataka Congress have confirmed that discussions on changes in the government and organisation are underway in the Congress.

Media reports citing sources, however, maintain that the central leadership has secured the performance records of ministers. Leaders who failed to deliver results for the party in the Lok Sabha elections and had not performed up to the mark in delivering promises to voters were expected to get dropped.