DK Shivakumar Dismisses BJP's 'No Chair November' AI Video as Political Theatrics

The AI video depicts caricatures of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Siddaramaiah, and Shivakumar.

Bengaluru:

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar dismissed BJP's 'No Chair November' AI-generated video targeting the ruling Congress government as "bogus" and a "fuss" in a statement to NDTV on Sunday night.

"All of it is bogus, a fuss that they're trying to create. Nothing will happen," Shivakumar firmly stated to NDTV.

The BJP released a 26-minute satirical clip amidst rumors of growing tension between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM Shivakumar over the leadership position. The video shows caricatures of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Siddaramaiah, and Shivakumar in a WhatsApp scenario where Gandhi and Siddaramaiah send Shivakumar a message. A "scratch card" appears, which when scratched by Shivakumar reveals a 'No Chair November' reward - symbolizing his denial of the top position. The video portrays Shivakumar looking shocked while Gandhi and Siddaramaiah laugh, concluding with a dancing Husky dog.

The BJP captioned the video on X: "It is 'No Chair November' for @DKShivakumar," adding hashtags #Congressfailskarnataka #CMChairfight.

Previously, the BJP had shared another AI-generated video depicting four senior Congress leaders - Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar, Home Minister G Parameshwara, and Public Works Department Minister Satish Jarkiholi - playing musical chairs for the Chief Minister position. The Karnataka BJP unit captioned this post: "Countdown to the November Revolution!"

Karnataka's political atmosphere has been filled with speculation about leadership changes in recent months. A supposed "power-sharing" agreement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar - often referred to as the "November revolution" - has fueled these rumors. This stems from 2023 when Congress won power in Karnataka, with Shivakumar being a strong contender for Chief Minister. However, Congress leadership selected Siddaramaiah and persuaded Shivakumar to accept the Deputy Chief Minister and state party chief positions. There were unconfirmed reports of a rotational Chief Minister arrangement.

Last week, Shivakumar described himself as a "disciplined soldier" of his party, adding that both he and the Chief Minister would "abide by the party's decision."

At a recent event, Siddaramaiah stated he would continue in power for another 2.5 years, quickly amending his statement to "we will continue."

Regarding Bihar polls, Shivakumar expressed confidence to NDTV about political change in the state.

"I'm sure and confident there will be a change in Bihar and the 'Mahagathbandhan' will perform strongly. I met people from Bihar in Bengaluru, and they were happy. I'm sure they will vote for the 'Mahagathbandhan'," he remarked.

Shivakumar also mentioned that 37 boxes of signature forms collected during the 'Vote Chori Campaign' had arrived by cargo, stating, "I will go to the AICC office and submit the crores of signatures."