Karnataka showdown: Will DK Shivakumar replace Siddaramaiah as CM? Here's what Congress leaders have to say

Speculation about a leadership change amid internal discord within the Congress in Karnataka, one of three states where the grand old party is in power, spiked recently.

Now, two senior party leaders, Veerappa Moily and Basavaraju Shivaganga, have pushed for Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to be Karnataka’s next Chief Minister, replacing Siddaramaiah. 

Moily expressed his hope to see Shivakumar assume the state’s top post, while Shivaganga said Karnataka Deputy CM would take over as Chief Minister by December.

“I am the one who secured the MLA ticket for DK Shivakumar for the first time. Today, he has become a successful leader in Karnataka. We all wish for him to become the Chief Minister soon," said Moily, the former Karnataka Chief Minister.

Moily said Shivakumar’s rise to the top is certain. “He has provided strong leadership and prioritised strengthening the party. Some may criticise him for personal reasons, but that won’t change anything. Becoming chief minister is not something that needs to be granted to him; he has earned it," Moily said.

Amid speculation of a change in leadership in Karnataka, Shivakumar, who is also the Karnataka Congress President, has emerged as a strong contender for the chief minister’s post.

‘DK to become CM by December’

Congress MLA Basavaraju V Shivaganga said on Sunday that Shivakumar will become the Chief Minister by December. Shivaganga said that Shivakumar would serve as chief minister for the next 7.5 years from December, as the party is expected to win the next Assembly elections as well.

"Write it down, it will happen by December. I can also write and give it to you in blood if you want, that he (Shivakumar) will become CM by December. If he takes charge in December, he will run the administration, including the next five-year term too, so by and large, he will be CM for 7.5 years," Shivaganga told reporters.

Without explicitly confirming whether a power-sharing agreement exists, the Channagiri MLA responded to a question by emphasising Shivakumar's contributions to the party. He credited Shivakumar for increasing the party’s seat tally in both the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.

"He (Shivakumar) has made history. He has organised the party, invested his resources, and sacrificed a lot for it. His silence or composure should not be mistaken for weakness. The high command is aware of everything, and I am a hundred per cent sure he will be CM by December," he added.

‘Rotational Chief Minister’

There have been talks in the state's political circles, especially in the ruling Congress party, about a chief minister change later this year under a "rotational chief minister" or "power-sharing" formula.

"It is for the high command to decide," Siddaramaiah told reporters in February in response to a discussion about leadership change.

A section of party leaders and workers have been attempting to project Shivakumar as the next chief minister. After the May 2023 Assembly election results, there was stiff competition between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for the chief minister's post. The Congress ultimately convinced the latter and made him the Deputy Chief Minister.

Some reports at the time suggested that a compromise had been reached based on a "rotational chief minister formula," according to which Shivakumar would become CM after two and a half years. However, the party has never officially confirmed this.

“Neither Moily nor anyone else said that DK Shivakumar is going to be the CM today or tomorrow. They said that one day, he would be rewarded for his hard work. High command will decide it. If I say so in front of the media, will it happen? Our responsibilities are very clear. Siddaramaiah is the CM, and DK Shivakumar is the Dy CM...I might want somebody to become CM one day; if they work hard, they will be rewarded tomorrow. Whatever he said, it is his opinion...,” Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge told news agency ANI when asked about Moily's remarks. 

(With PTI inputs)