DC Edit | Will Karnataka Gain After DKS Takes Charge As CM?

The game of thrones that has been playing out in Karnataka over the last three years appears to have come to an end with chief minister Siddaramaiah resigning from his post making way for his deputy D.K. Shivakumar to take over the reins. While it is a matter of time as to when the latter will assume office, the occasion has led to a lot of relief for his supporters.

The Congress came to power in Karnataka unseating the BJP thanks to a slew of strategic steps. The governments led by B.S. Yediyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai had been facing a series of corruption allegations and the people enthusiastically welcomed its promise of a clean administration. It is said that the corruption was not limited to the highest echelons of the government; even block and ward level appointees practised fraud with impunity.

The Congress also held out five guarantees which included free travel for women in state-run buses, up to 200 units of free electricity per month to all homes, a monthly financial assistance of Rs 2,000 to the female head of the family, 10 kg of free rice per person to those Below Poverty Line (BPL) per month and a monthly unemployment allowance. The combination of Mr Siddaramaiah, a socialist-turned-Congressman, and Mr Shivakumar, who has earned the tag of a strongman for having withstood witch-hunt by the BJP and Central agencies, convinced everyone to vote for their party which came to power in 2023.

The government did deliver on its promises to the best of its ability. Yet it landed the state in a financial mess. Perhaps the Congress had been too ambitious in Karnataka. Like most other southern states, it, too, complained of discrimination in financial allocations by the Union government; the entire state ministry was on the streets of the national capital a year ago seeking its fair share in Central resources, but their protests bore no fruit.

To make matters worse, the Congress national leadership went silent when a rumour gained ground about an agreement in place between the two senior leaders that the CM would vacate his seat for his deputy after two-and-a-half years. While discussions did not lead to an outcome, Mr Shivakumar, to his credit, played a fair game and waited for his chance. Still, the speculation on leadership change never ended. With few options ahead, the party has finally green-lighted it.

Now, the Congress will have to do a lot of hard work if it is to return to power after the 2028 Assembly elections. The allegations of corruption never really went away; people do not feel that the present administration is a whole lot better with some claiming that things have in fact gotten worse. Even so, some credit must go to the Congress for being able to fend off the BJP’s attempts to destabilise its government as the saffron party has a matchless record when it comes to toppling governments. A change of guard has often helped ruling parties ward off anti-incumbency but it remains to be seen how Mr Shivakumar will perform in the remaining two years. The political drama has delivered him his heart’s desire, but will it lead to improvement in the lives of the people?