The power-sharing dispute inside the Karnataka Congress remains unresolved. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar each want leadership for the remaining two-and-a-half years. This forced the party high command to intervene. AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, who arrived in Bengaluru on Friday, held meetings with the Chief Minister on Saturday night and with several ministers on Sunday.
All these discussions brought no clarity from Kharge. While speaking to the media on Sunday, he said he had nothing new to announce. He added that the developments inside the party were not healthy and assured that the high command would settle the issue. Notably, neither Shivakumar nor his supporters met Kharge during his three-day stay in Bengaluru, while several ministers supporting Siddaramaiah — H.C. Mahadevappa, K. Venkatesh and Eshwar Khandre — held discussions with him.
As the Siddaramaiah-Shivakumar leadership struggle persisted, unexpected voices cropped up on Sunday when senior Scheduled Caste community leaders rallied behind the demand for a Dalit CM if the leadership change becomes inevitable.
Home Minister Dr. G. Parameshwar announced that he too is a contender for the CM post. He reminded people that under him as PCC president, the Congress won the 2013 election, although he lost his seat as an individual. He said the Congress often provides PCC presidents with CM opportunities, but such an opportunity does not arise every time. In other words, his statement indirectly countered Shivakumar's view that the party came back to power basically because of him.
Minister Mahadevappa, too, favoured a Dalit CM option during deliberations with Kharge. Kharge, Parameshwar, and Mahadevappa all come from the SC community. The same opinion was aired by tribal community Minister Satish Jarkiholi. There is growing pressure that if a power-sharing agreement is activated after the 2.5-year mark, the leadership should go to the non-dominant caste groups like minorities, backward classes, and Dalits who form a strong support base for the Congress. Siddaramaiah, known as the leader of these communities, is said to be considering opportunities for leaders from these groups. This may weaken Shivakumar’s chances of becoming Chief Minister.
