DK Shivakumar: His split-term claim hits a Congress bottleneck again

KARNATAKA DEPUTY CHIEF MINISTER DK Shivakumar is never much out of the news. This time around, the theme is not new but seems to have stirred up things a little more than before.

Shivakumar has been pushing for a change of guard in Karnataka with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah making way for him. But this time, he referred to a “secret deal” in public for the first time, speaking of an understanding between a few senior Congress leaders about a “split term” after the party won the 2023 election.

Siddaramaiah has shown no inclination to vacate and now Shivakumar says he may not raise the matter for now. But he has, and the genie is not going back into the bottle so easily.

The problem is that the Congress high command is finding it hard to settle the claims. It is having to deal with two strong regional leaders and both are convinced of the legitimacy of their claims. Destabilising Siddaramaiah could anger the Other Backward Castes (OBCs) who are not only a significant vote bank in the state but are the focus of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s politics. Shivakumar is a powerful Vokkaliga, a community that can make or break political fortunes.

Meanwhile, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge says the matter will be resolved by Rahul, Sonia Gandhi and him. Now, that is a hoot. Any serious matter is settled by the first family, and no one else.