(Image source from: x.com/DKShivakumar)
Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who is in a tough competition for the chief position, made a pointed comment to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah while praising former Congress leader Sonia Gandhi during an event on Friday. Shivakumar highlighted her "sacrifice," explaining that she chose not to take power herself and instead suggested Manmohan Singh for the Prime Minister role back in 2004. "Sonia Gandhi has led the Congress in this country for over two decades. She gave up power. In 2004, Abdul Kalam (the former President) wanted her to be Prime Minister, but she chose to put forward Manmohan Singh's name instead," Shivakumar stated. He emphasized that Sonia Gandhi picked Manmohan Singh, "a specialist in economics," to lead the government, and linked her leadership to programs aimed at helping people, like those for Asha workers.
This mention was significant since it occurred with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah sitting next to him, amidst increasing discussions about leadership in Karnataka. Shivakumar's comments become even more important as they come right before a crucial meeting in Delhi—a gathering expected to include Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and the party's national president Mallikarjun Kharge—where discussions about power-sharing in Karnataka are on the agenda and a resolution to the current political conflict is hoped for. Shivakumar concluded his speech by urging for continued public support for the government and expressing his endorsement for the ongoing Siddaramaiah-led administration. "Please continue to support us. Keep supporting the Congress government led by Siddaramaiah. The Congress will try its best to improve your lives," he remarked.
Shivakumar’s comments came as he stood with Siddaramaiah on Friday during a government function celebrating 50 years of the Anganwadi program, signaling a sense of togetherness despite the current leadership struggle within the Karnataka Congress. Recently, the Deputy Chief Minister has been subtly criticizing the Chief Minister for "not fulfilling promises" regarding power-sharing, as their party approaches 2.5 years in government in the state, based on an agreement reportedly made in May 2023. The two leaders, however, have left the final decision to the party's higher-ups, who have remained silent thus far. To complicate things, Home Minister G Parameshwara, a close ally of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, mentioned he would accept DK Shivakumar as Chief Minister if the party's leadership decides on it. Shortly after, another Siddaramaiah supporter, Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan, contradicted this by insisting that the Chief Minister would keep his position.
In the meantime, Minister Eashwar Khandre mentioned that the Congress top leaders had advised members not to publicly discuss the matter of leadership. "The top leaders have already told us not to talk about this. We are providing effective governance in the state, and we will keep doing so," he shared with journalists. Even though they appeared united on stage, there is ongoing leadership debate happening in the background, with MLAs supporting Shivakumar openly backing him, while the Siddaramaiah group insists he remains.
