As Sidda, DKS Slug It Out, 2 More Names Do Rounds

New Delhi:As the Karnataka crisis over the chief minister's post deepens, the ruling Congress is quietly weighing fallback options. Sources indicate that while the party leadership would prefer a negotiated settlement between chief minister Siddaramaiah and deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar, it is not ruling out the possibility of turning to a third candidate if the stalemate persists.

According to sources, two names have surfaced as a third option, which include state home minister G. Parameshwara and IT minister Priyank Kharge. While Mr Parameshwara has expressed his desire, Priyank Kharge is not openly canvassing at this juncture.

Fishing in troubled waters, the BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra said that if the Congress government is unable to govern the state despite having 140 MLAs, it should dissolve the Assembly and call for fresh polls.

Meanwhile, with the feud between Mr Siddaramaiah and Mr Shivakumar intensifying, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is all set to summon both the CM and his deputy to New Delhi shortly. The final decision, though, will likely be taken by the Gandhi clan— Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi and former party president Rahul Gandhi.

According to sources, Mr Kharge, Mr Gandhi and Mrs Gandhi will meet to take stock of the situation after the Congress' parliamentary strategy committee meeting on November 29. Following this, both Mr Siddaramaiah and Mr Shivakumar will be summoned to Delhi.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Mr Kharge indicated that a decision will be taken after discussing the issue with other senior leaders. "There is a team. I am not alone," he said. The Congress president did not specify the date on which the meeting will be held, but sources said the meeting will take place on Saturday.

Amid the ongoing tussle, Mr Siddaramaiah is demanding a Cabinet reshuffle and Mr Shivakumar for a change of guard. Mr Shivakumar claims an unwritten power-sharing agreement between him and Mr Siddaramaiah that was reached in May 2023, according to which Mr Siddaramaiah will serve as CM for the first two-and-a-half years, and for the remaining term, he will be the CM.

“I am not claiming anything right now. In the interest of the party, we all will work together… Success of the party is more important than individual aspirations,” Mr Shivakumar said over the power-sharing pact.

In reference to the unwritten power-sharing agreement, Congress MLA and son of Mr Siddaramaiah, Yathindra Siddaramaiah, stated his father will abide by the promise he has made to the central leadership.

Mr Siddaramaiah is reportedly under pressure from his supporters, especially former minister K.N. Rajanna and sitting ministers Venkatesh and H.C. Mahadevappa, among others, who have asked him not to hand over the CM post to Mr Shivakumar.

A staunch supporter of Mr Siddaramaiah, Mr Rajanna stated Mr Siddaramaiah met Mr Gandhi a couple of days back, but Mr Shivakumar was not given an appointment for a meeting. He said the development is an indication that the central leadership has some reservations against Mr Shivakumar.

“It is better Mr Shivakumar understood that high command is unhappy with him,” Mr Rajanna said.

The 2.5-year power-sharing formula between Mr Siddaramaiah and Mr Shivakumar will be over by mid-December. Mr Gandhi, sources revealed, "is leaning towards Mr Siddaramaiah, as he belongs to the OBC community."

The chief minister reportedly also has the backing of a majority of the Congress MLAs. However, if the 2.5-year formula, though not officially acknowledged by the Congress, is ignored by the party high command, some party leaders apprehend that Mr Shivakumar could possibly look at the option of "quitting the party". They claim that Mr Shivkumar's exit "will damage the Congress in the state."

Backing the deputy chief minister for the top post is Congress Vokkaliga leader Nirmalanandanatha Swami, who heads the Adichunchanagiri Mutt, one of the influential institutions representing the community.

“In the previous election, we (the Vokkaligas) voted (for the Congress) hoping that one of our leaders (Mr Shivakumar) would become the chief minister, but it didn’t happen. We hoped that an opportunity would be provided after two-and-a-half years. If it doesn’t happen, thousands of devotees are telling us that they will be in pain,” Mr Swami declared.