BJP Releases Satirical Video Mocking "No Chair November" for DK Shivakumar Amid Karnataka Leadership Tensions

Screengrab of the video shared by the BJP.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday unveiled a satirical video targeting Karnataka's ruling Congress government, amid ongoing speculation about tensions between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar regarding the leadership position.

Shivakumar recently dismissed rumors of an impending "November revolution," clarifying that any revolution would occur only in 2028 when Congress secures re-election in the state.

The 26-minute AI-generated clip features caricatures of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Siddaramaiah, and Shivakumar. It portrays Gandhi and Siddaramaiah sending Shivakumar a WhatsApp message with a digital scratch card.

In the video, when Shivakumar scratches the card, he discovers his "reward" is "No Chair November." The clip shows Shivakumar appearing shocked while Gandhi and Siddaramaiah laugh at his expense.

The satirical video concludes with a dancing Husky dog.

The BJP shared this content on platform X with the caption "It is 'No Chair November' for @DKShivakumar," accompanied by hashtags #Congressfailskarnataka and #CMChairfight.

Political circles in Karnataka have been discussing a potential Chief Minister change later this year, referencing a supposed "power-sharing" agreement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar—commonly called the "November revolution."

On Thursday, Shivakumar described himself as a "disciplined soldier" of the party, stating that both he and Siddaramaiah would respect the party's decisions.

"I'm not meeting anyone from the high command. There have been no discussions with me regarding Cabinet reshuffle. It is the Chief Minister's prerogative. Let him proceed. I have no plans to meet any leaders, except on matters concerning party organizations and the vote chori campaign," he explained.

Siddaramaiah has maintained that he intends to serve the full five-year term, subject to the Congress high command's decisions.

Karnataka Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, however, acknowledged Shivakumar's aspiration to become Chief Minister, expressing his personal wish that Shivakumar should assume the role after Siddaramaiah completes his five-year term in 2028.

Following the May 2023 Assembly election results, there was intense competition between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for the Chief Minister position. The Congress party ultimately appointed Siddaramaiah as Chief Minister with Shivakumar serving as Deputy.

Some unconfirmed reports suggested a compromise based on a "rotational chief minister formula," where Shivakumar would become Chief Minister after two-and-half years, though the party has never officially confirmed this arrangement.