Karnataka Results: Shivakumar or Siddaramaiah? Who will be Congress’ CM pick?

It’s D-Day and all eyes have turned to Karnataka as votes for the southern state are being counted. At last count, the Congress was on course to wrest power in the state from its rival, the Bharatiya Janata Party. It seems that Karnataka is keeping up with history and has maintained its voting record since 1985 of not choosing an incumbent government into power.

This result will be a massive boost for the Congress, if early trends are to be believed. It will herald a new beginning for the Grand Old Party and also open the door for them in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Moreover, the Congress can take pride in the fact that they were able to breach BJP’s lone southern citadel Karnataka.

Catch all the live updates from the Karnataka Assembly Election Results 2023 HERE

However, even as Congress begins to celebrate the news, the party’s high command as a huge question looming. Who will they pick for chief minister? Will it be Siddaramaiah? Or will it be current Congress state chief and ‘troubleshooter’ DK Shivakumar?

Siddaramaiah vs DK Shivakumar

All has not been well between the two senior most leaders – Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar – of the state unit of the Congress. Even as the votes were being counted on Saturday, the chasm between the two was evident when Siddaramaiah’s son, Yathindra, said for the interest of Karnataka his father should become the chief minister.

“We will do anything to keep BJP out of power… In the interest of Karnataka, my father should become the chief minister,” Yathindra Siddaramaiah said while speaking to news agency ANI. He further said that his father will win in the Varuna constituency with a huge margin.

Yathindra further added, “As a son, definitely I would like to see him as a chief minister. But as a resident of the state, his last regime had a very good governance, this time also, if he becomes the chief minister, whatever corruption and misrule during the BJP rule will be corrected by him. In the interest of the state also, he should become the CM.”

On the other hand, DK Shivakumar, the seven-time MLA and Vokkaliga strongman, has also expressed his ambitions of being chief minister. One of the richest politicians in the state, the 60-year-old leader had told the media on Friday, “I have struggled for the party and all will support (me). I got the responsibility (of the KPCC chief) after Dinesh Gundu Rao quit following the bypoll losses (2019). I never slept after that and will not sleep. I have done what is necessary for the party… all will support (me) and I will provide a good government.”

This rivalry between the two strongmen isn’t a new phenomenon. The two have been at ends with each other, but yet to the media, they have denied claims of a tussle. Even the party in the state has been divided into two – one backing Siddaramaiah and the other with Shivakumar.

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As of now, it seems that Siddaramaiah has the edge in the race to being chief minister, even though DK Shivakumar has strong ties with Rahul Gandhi. “This is because Siddaramiah has more stature among party workers. Also, if it is a close verdict, Siddaramiah will be a more acceptable chief minister face to the other political parties. Shivakumar has made too many enemies in the opposition camp,” a three-time Congress MLA was quoted as telling The Outlook.

Other sources speaking to Zee News also said that Siddaramiah would be the next chief minister if the Congress won in the state. They added that DK Shivakumar would be given a plum posting in the Cabinet and later taken on as chief minister.

One thing is certain that the decision between the two won’t be easy to make for the party high command. While Shivakumar is considered as the organisation’s favourite; he has been a troubleshooter, Siddaramaiah is still considered as the party’s most popular leader in the state and a crowd puller.

An outside choice

While the focus remains on DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah, there’s also a possibility of a third outside face for the post of chief minister.

According to Indian Express, sources within the party are looking at former Karnataka deputy chief minister G Parameshwara, a Dalit, as a third option if it has to align with the Janata Dal-Secular. However, neither the party nor him has spoken about him being a contender in the race for chief minister. In fact, on Friday, speaking to the media, he said, “I will not comment on the post of CM as the high command will decide. If we keep commenting on the CM seat, it would be a problem.”

Another choice, though very unlikely, is the Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. His name as chief minister for the state began circulating when D K Shivakumar in April had said that he would be happy serving Kharge as chief minister.

“Mallikarjun Kharge is my leader. He is my president. Kharge is 20 years my senior. We have to respect his seniority and sacrifices. In the event of him becoming CM of Karnataka, I am ready to work with him,” Shivakumar had said then.

However, this is highly unlikely on account of his current responsibilities as the All India Congress Committee (AICC) chief. Kharge, incidentally, had been in contention for the top job in the state twice – once in 2008 sand later in 2013. In 2008, the Congress lost, but in 2013 when the party won, they chose to go with Siddaramaiah as it wanted an Other Backward Classes (OBC) face for the CM’s post.

With inputs from agencies

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