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Karnataka is witnessing an intense political crisis as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar appear locked in a power tussle over a reported “2.5-year CM rotation formula.” Shivakumar’s public reminder about “keeping one’s word” triggered a strong counter from Siddaramaiah, who signaled he has no intention of stepping down.
Karnataka Congress Faces Its Biggest Internal Crisis
Bengaluru: The political turmoil surrounding a leadership change within the Congress government in Karnataka is steadily intensifying. The political strife between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar has now reached the open stage. Both leaders are directly and indirectly responding to each other's statements, making it clear that this power struggle has now entered a decisive phase.
Karnataka Congress state president and Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar has long been seen as a potential successor to Siddaramaiah. Recently, he shared a post on Instagram, reminding the party leadership of his alleged promise. This was considered the biggest public signal of a 'leadership change' in political circles.
It is believed that at the time of government formation in 2023, the Congress high command had decided on a power-sharing formula, two and a half years of the five-year term for Siddaramaiah and the remaining two and a half years for Shivakumar. The issue has resurfaced after the government completed two and a half years in office on November 20th, although the Congress party never officially announced this.
In his post, Shivakumar, without naming any names, said, "Sticking to the word is the greatest power in the world. Whether it's a judge, the President, or me, everyone should stick to their word. The power of words is the power of the world."
His statement was seen as a direct message to the high command and an indirect challenge to Siddaramaiah.
Siddaramaiah's counterattack: "The mandate is for five years."
Just hours after Shivakumar's post, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah responded using the same terminology. He clearly indicated that he was not in the mood to step down as Chief Minister at this time.
Siddaramaiah wrote, "The mandate of the people of Karnataka is not a momentary mandate, but a five-year responsibility. The power of words is when they improve the world in the public interest.
Citing the promises made by his previous government (2013–18), he said that he had fulfilled 157 out of 165 promises. During the current term, 243 out of 593 promises have been fulfilled, and the remaining promises will also be fulfilled responsibly.
This crisis in Karnataka has been exacerbated by the Congress's "two-and-a-half-year" formula, which previously caused political damage to the party in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Power struggles in both places led to electoral defeats. The same situation is now feared to develop in Karnataka.
Regarding this entire controversy, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has clearly stated that only the high command will decide on any leadership change, and that the issue should not be discussed publicly.
The growing tension in Karnataka politics indicates that the party leadership will have to intervene decisively in the coming days, otherwise the power struggle could prove detrimental to both the organization and the government.
