Karnataka: Fishing in troubled waters, BJP offers support to Shivakumar; letting the issue fester, why Congress should be worried

Amid the long-festering leadership tussle in Karnataka Congress, the BJP has offered outside support to Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar for the Chief Minister’s post—an overture which should act as caution for the Congress, considering that the state is one of the only three (apart from Himachal Pradesh and Telangana) in its kitty right now. The offer was reportedly made by former Karnataka Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda, who indicated that the BJP is ready to provide support to Shivakumar if permitted by the high command.

The fact is, Congress has allowed the issue between Chief Minister Siddharamiah and his deputy Shivakumar to fester for too long now, though indications are that a resolution may be in sight there before the December Parliament session. Rahul Gandhi is said to have finally responded to Shivakumar, who had been trying to speak with the senior Congress leader for “weeks” now.

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Interestingly, the BJP offer to Shivakumar comes even while it is continuing a campaign against him, including releasing videos mocking his ambition.

Notwithstanding the BJP’s past of breaking parties (like the NCP and the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra), there are multiple reasons why the Congress should be concerned. Sources say, because of his political abilities and organisational skills, Shivakumar has been on “BJP’s radar” for long. There was also this buzz about “BJP’s tacit support” for him when he sang Sangh Prarthana, ‘Namaste Sada Vatsale Matribhume’ in the Assembly.

While currently the BJP seems to be fishing in troubled waters, Karnataka is only one of the five states in South India where it is a major political power; some recent surveys are said to indicate that if Assembly elections are held today, it may be advantage BJP.

The tensions between Siddaramaiah and DKS are not new to Karnataka Congress; they have been simmering since the formation of the government in 2023, but now the “2.5 years completion issue”—the supposed deadline for rotational leadership—has brought it to a boiling point. But Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar are both critical for Congress in Karnataka’s plans.

Coming from a humble background, the two-time CM is one of the leading backward-class leaders in his party with Ahinda (Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes, and Dalits) vote base. Therefore, removing Siddaramaiah may not be a very good strategy for Congress’s caste arithmetic.

Shivakumar comes from the influential Vokkaliga community and is credited with swinging the votes of the community in defeating the ruling BJP in the last elections. He had expected to be rewarded with the CM post but had to settle for serving as Siddaramaiah’s deputy. Acting as “troubleshooter” for the party, he has helped keep the flock together on many occasions—like when late Maharashtra CM Vilasrao Deshmukh was faced with the trust vote, when late Ahmed Patel was contesting the Rajya Sabha elections in Gujarat, or when, around 2024, the party landed in soup after a key MLA resigned in Himachal.