Is there turbulence in the Congress in Karnataka?

In Karnataka, Congress showed unity, leading to electoral success. Internal rifts resurfaced over the Chief Minister’s post between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar, resolved by party central leadership.

Over the last two years, the Congress in Karnataka saw remarkable unity amongst its senior leadership. In 2023, this internal unity was an important factor behind their strong performance in the Assembly elections. Internal factionalism reared its head when the time came to decide who gets the Chief Minister’s post. There was an open tussle between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar, both claiming the coveted post. It was resolved with the Central leadership of the party striking a compromise.  Since then, there has been an uneasy truce as the focus shifted to the Lok Sabha elections. With these elections over, the internal factionalism has once again come to the fore.

Developments over the last few days should have the Congress concerned. There is a growing demand from certain segments to have more Deputy CMs. On 25th June, State Minister KN Rajanna called on the party's high command to appoint more Deputy CMs. He argued that leaders from ‘communities’ that support the Congress should be given positions in the ministry. In particular, there are demands for leaders from SC/ST, Veerashaiva-Lingayat and minority communities to be made Deputy CMs. It is another story that leaders from these segments assigned the task of winning Lok Sabha seats, performed poorly.

This demand was quickly rubbished by DK Shivakumar, who is the only Deputy CM at the moment. He urged those making such demands not to talk to the media but approach the party high command,  instead. Interestingly, with DK Shivakumar conceded the Chief Minister’s post to Siddaramaiah, one of his demands was that there would be only one Deputy CM. Therefore, any calls for more Deputy CMs to be accommodated is likely to evoke a sharp response from DK Shivakumar. Yet, it can also be argued that the analysis of the Lok Sabha results, would indicate how effectively different leaders have fulfilled the roles assigned to them.

Some have been quick to point out that these open demands for more Deputy CMs are part of the longstanding tussle between Siddharamaiah and DK Shivakumar.  Many following the Congress in Karnataka, opine that the demands for more Deputy Chief Ministers have been put forward on behalf of the Siddaramaiah camp to keep a check on DK Shivakumar’s influence within the party. Apart from being the Deputy Chief Minister, DK Shivakumar is also the President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).

The DK Shivakumar camp has also been quick to respond. Congress MLA Basavaraju Shivaganga called on the party's high command to make DK Shivakumar the Chief Minister and then have as many as 10 to 15 Deputy CMs. He went on to argue that the party’s electoral success in 2023 was largely due to DK Shivakumar’s organizational skills. Within days of this demand, a Vokkaliga seer Chandrashekar Swamiji openly called for DK Shivakumar to be made Chief Minister. He called on Siddaramaiah to resign to make way for DK Shivakumar. Embarrassingly for the Congress, both DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah were present on stage with this demand was made.

These internal differences coming out in the open should not come as a surprise. Both these leaders have had long-standing rivalries. Both lobbied for the Chief Minister’s post in 2023, with an uneasy truce being brokered by the Congress’s central leadership. The two leaders eventually decided to keep aside their differences keeping in mind the Lok Sabha elections, which were less than a year away. With their success in the Assembly Elections, the Congress sensed an opportunity to push the BJP further back in the Lok Sabha polls. With the elections over, the manoeuvring for change are coming out in the open.

For the Congress, this internal battle comes with no easy solutions. DK Shivakumar is unlikely to agree to more Deputy Chief Ministers being appointed as long as he is not the CM. He has been an integral part of the Congress’s success in the state. As a Vokkaliga leader, DK Shivakumar has been instrumental in the Congress’s strong performance in the Old Mysore belt. The CSDS-Lokniti Post Poll survey indicates that the Vokkaliga vote was evenly divided between the Congress and the BJP-JDS alliance. The Congress needs to keep the party’s Vokkaliga support base intact becomes more important.

With the crisis slowly escalating, the central high command will need to step in to reduce the tensions. It is in Congress’s best interests that the crisis does not escalate further. At the Assembly level, the party has got a historic mandate. The Congress needs to focus its attention on leveraging this mandate and delivering on its election promises. This will be critical in a state where incumbent governments are regularly voted out.  Distribution of the spoils should not be the primary objective …. good governance needs to be the priority.