• Source:JND

Karnataka Congress Power Tussle: Whenever Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar are summoned to the Congress high command in Delhi, speculation revives on the transfer of power in the state, as the tussle between the duo is no longer a secret.

As speculation mounted over a leadership change in Karnataka on Tuesday, the top Congress brass met leaders from the state, including Siddaramaiah and his deputy, to discuss upcoming elections to the Rajya Sabha and legislative council. Though Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had convened a meeting to decide candidates for the two elections, the point of interest remained the protracted leadership tussle in Karnataka and whether there would be any resolution.

Congress Remains Tight-Lipped On Leadership Change

After the meeting, the grand old party rejected the speculation, saying the change of the leadership was not on the agenda of the deliberation, leaving Shivakumar's CM dream hanging in the balance. Congress neither denied nor accepted the CM rotation formula, which Shivakumar reportedly claimed that he was promised when the party formed the government in 2023. It was expected that the party would put an end to the controversy by declaring the coronation of Shivakumar. But the Congress conundrum continues, displaying the party's weakness in dealing with the succession issue.

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This is not the first time Congress has reflected an inability to deal with the leadership change issue. In the past, there were several examples when the party avoided the generational shift, which cost dearly in the elections.

Ashok Gehlot vs Sachin Pilot: Many say Congress lost Rajasthan due to infighting in the party. Pilot, who played a key role in defeating the Vasundhara Raje-led Bharatiya Janata Party government in the Rajasthan Assembly elections 2018, was expecting that he would get the CM post, but the party preferred the old guard, Gehlot. The bitterness grew between the duo so much that Pilot rebelled against the government in 2020, leading to his removal as Deputy Chief Minister and Rajasthan Congress president. Later, the party lost the election in 2023.

ALSO READ: Cabinet Reshuffle Or Power Shift? Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah To Meet Kharge, Rahul Gandhi In Delhi

Bhupesh Baghel vs TS Singh Deo: A similar power tussle story and almost simultaneously was seen, with the same electoral fate in Chhattisgarh. Following the Congress victory in 2018, Baghel was made chief minister, while Deo, who hails from a royal family, was made cabinet minister with five portfolios. Deo expected that he would get a chance to lead the government, but the high command did not carry out a power transfer, leading to a rift in the party. Subsequently, it lost power in Chhattisgarh.

Tarun Gogoi vs Himanta Biswa Sarma: Another similar episode unfolded in Assam during the Congress leader Tarun Gogoi's rule. Himanta Biswa Sarma, now the Chief Minister and a BJP leader, was seen as the successor of Gogoi, but Congress did not take the call on the leadership change at the right time before the 2016 Assam polls. In fact, the party backed Gogoi's son, Gaurav Gogoi, which prompted Sarma to switch the party. Today, Sarma is considered a man with a Midas touch for the saffron party.


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