Amid growing internal unrest within the Karnataka Congress, the party’s central leadership has stepped in to settle the dispute at least for now by instructing Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to continue as the state Congress president.
The decision comes after a 2-day visit to New Delhi by both Shivakumar and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, where they met with senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The meeting, held last Thursday and Friday, was viewed as crucial because of rising demands within the party to remove Shivakumar from his dual role.
Internal Pressure Over “One Person, One Post”
Several ministers and MLAs — reportedly close to Siddaramaiah — have been pushing for Shivakumar to step down as the state party chief. Their main argument is that the Congress should follow its long-standing principle of “one person, one post” to ensure better leadership and avoid overburdening key leaders.
Shivakumar has been wearing two important hats: that of Deputy Chief Minister in the state government and the President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC). His critics argue that holding both posts limits the time and attention he can give to the party’s organizational needs, especially to party workers and grassroots leaders who need regular access to their state president.
However, the Congress high command is said to have dismissed the idea of a change in leadership at this time. According to party insiders, Shivakumar has the firm backing of the central leadership due to his critical role in recent electoral successes.
He is credited with being a key architect of the Congress’s comeback in Karnataka during the 2023 Assembly elections, where the party secured a clear majority. Under his leadership, the Congress also performed well in the campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and recently won all 3 Assembly bypolls held in the state — a feat that boosted his standing within the party.
“The high command sees no reason to disturb the current setup when things are working in our favour,” said a senior party source. “Shivakumar has proven himself as an effective leader, both in the government and within the organization.”
A Temporary Truce?
The move appears to have temporarily cooled down the power tussle between supporters of Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, both influential figures in Karnataka politics. However, party insiders believe that tensions could resurface in the future, especially if the Congress underperforms in the Lok Sabha polls or if grassroots dissatisfaction continues to grow.
For now, though, Shivakumar will remain at the helm of the Karnataka Congress — with the full backing of the party high command — as the party gears up for the crucial general elections later this year.
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