Dog fight in Karnataka Congress for Chief Minister's post barely after 5 months of coming to power

HYDERABAD: A couple of weeks ago, farmers in Karntaka's Vijayapura district brought a live crocodile to the electricity board office to highlight the inconvenience faced by them when they go to the fields in the dark. They demanded regular three-phase power supply to ensure proper irrigation to agricultural fields.

The video went viral on social media which brought to the fore the issue of erratic power supply in several parts of the State. In response to the protest, the Congress Government promised six hours of power to farmers, a far cry from the neighbouring State of Telangana where the farmers are getting 24 hours of power.

Earlier this year in May, the Congress Government came to power in Karnataka with a commanding mandate and new hope against the BJP. The Government took oath with tall promises of implementing its five guarantees, assuring to deliver better governance.

But the first issue to engulf the State was internal differences as to who would occupy the Chief Ministerial chair. Following the results, a fierce rivalry emerged between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar for the top post.

While the issue simmered down temporarily, six months down the line, many senior Congress legislators have started slinging mud on each other and are pecking for the top chair once again.

Buoyed by the victory of the party in Karnataka the Congress is propagating that it would replicate Karnataka model in Telangana and accordingly announced six guarantees in line with Karnataka's five guarantees. So much so, the Congress inadvertently indicated that it would copy-paste the do fight of Karnataka for the top job even in Telangana. There are umpteen contenders with a ball park figure being pegged at a dozen for the post of Chief Minister of Telangana, the Congress leaders are trying to indulge in back biting and running camps for the post of Chief Minister even before Telangana went to polls. The electorate in Telangana is already wary of the Congress cultures going by not only the goings-on in Karnataka but even their experience of the party rule in undivided Andhra Pradesh in the past.

On November 2, 2023, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asserted that he would hold the office for a full five year term,, despite a warning from the Congress leadership to all its legislators, leaders and ministers against making open remarks on issues such as leadership change and Cabinet reshuffle.

“Who has made the confusing statement? If someone irrelevant speaks, why should we attach importance to it?” the Chief Minister told reporters when asked about repeated confusing statements from those within the party about a change in leadership after two-and-a-half years of this Government’s term.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s assertion that he would continue in the post for the full five-year term has sparked off a series of reactions from his Cabinet colleagues and many said the party’s high command would decide the tenure of the Chief Minister.

Though Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who is nursing an ambition to occupy the coveted post, declined to react to Siddaramaiah’s comment, his brother and Bengaluru Rural MP DK Suresh said, “The party high command will take a call on the tenure of Siddaramaiah.”

Home Minister G Parameshwara too threw his hat in the ring for the Chief Minister's post.

Karnataka Minister KN Rajanna at a public function in Tumkuru said that Parameshwara had been waiting for the Chief Minister’s post for long and the opportunity should be provided to him. Parameshwara responded to it by saying, “I am grateful to Mr. Rajanna. I too desire such a luck.”

Not to be left out, Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Priyank Kharge and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge' son said that he was ready to be the Chief Minister of Karnataka if the Congress High Command told him to take charge of the State administration.

"If the party high command tells me to be the CM, I will take charge too," he said and added that it was his his opinion.

Asked about Siddaramiah's statement on heading the administration for five years, Kharge said, "That too is Siddaramaiah's personal opinion."

When DK Shivakumar was campaigning in Telangana last week, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretaries Randeep Singh Surjewala and KC Venugopal air dashed to Karnataka after a few of Shivakumar's supporters started saying that he would take over the charge of Government.

Notwithstanding the mockery of the party's image in public with senior leaders taking jabs at one another, Surjewala and Venugopal held talks with both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar and warned that action would be taken against Ministers and leaders who made public statements on the change of leadership and the Government.