By BD Narayankar
Bengaluru, July 1 (UNI) The Congress party in Karnataka is once again wrestling with a familiar demon: internal power tussle. What was long whispered in the corridors of Vidhana Soudha has now exploded into public view. The uneasy truce between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy, KPCC chief DK Shivakumar, appears to be cracking. And this time, the high command in Delhi can’t look away.
The visit of Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala to Bengaluru is no ordinary political inspection. Though framed as an "organisational review," the timing, the intensity, and the format — closed-door, one-on-one meetings with MLAs — tell a different story. This is not just an audit. It’s damage control.
At the heart of this discord is an alleged power-sharing formula, where Siddaramaiah was to hand over the reins to Shivakumar after 2.5 years. The existence of this deal is both the foundation of Shivakumar's claims and the myth that Siddaramaiah's camp refuses to acknowledge. What’s evident, however, is that both leaders are now locked in a battle of interpretation — and ambition.
For Shivakumar, who kept the Congress afloat in Karnataka during its lean years, especially post-2019, this moment is a test of reward and recognition. For Siddaramaiah, a mass leader with strong OBC backing, it’s about legacy and staying power. Both leaders are indispensable, and incompatible.
Surjewala's arrival signifies the high command's growing discomfort. The Karnataka unit's internal war not only hurt the party in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections but also threatens to derail its plans ahead of crucial BBMP and other civic polls. If this disunity lingers, Congress risks losing its hard-won hold in the state and its national narrative of being a stable alternative to the BJP.
The complaints from MLAs about unequal fund distribution, lack of access to power centres, and organisational neglect are not just noise. They are symptoms of a deeper rot, a leadership vacuum, or worse, a two-headed government pulling in opposite directions.
Siddaramaiah's move to convene the first meeting of the newly formed OBC Advisory Council on July 15 is no coincidence. It's a strategic assertion of his social base. In response, whispers from the Shivakumar camp about potential political "revolution" after September sound more like a deadline than a prediction.
Even Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's cryptic remark, "No one knows what the high command is thinking", has become a Rorschach test for both factions. One sees hope. The other, warning. In truth, Kharge's statement is less about mystery and more about maintaining maneuverability in a volatile situation.
What is undeniable now is that the Karnataka Congress is split, not just in leadership preference, but in vision. Siddaramaiah's faction is rooted in mass appeal and social justice rhetoric. Shivakumar’s strength lies in grassroots organisation, money muscle, and loyalty from a committed set of MLAs.
This internal dichotomy cost the Congress dearly in 2024. If not resolved, it may cost them control in Bengaluru and elsewhere. Worse, it gives the BJP, bruised but not broken, a golden opportunity to reassert itself in the state.
The Congress high command may have deferred a leadership change for now, but it hasn't extinguished the fire. Whether this tension culminates in a compromise, reshuffle, or rebellion will define the next chapter of Karnataka politics.
One thing is clear: this is no longer an internal matter. The future of the Congress in Karnataka — and potentially its perception as a cohesive national force — hinges on how it handles the Siddaramaiah-Shivakumar equation.
For now, the storm has passed. But the clouds haven't cleared.
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