Karnataka Political Crisis: The Deepening Siddaramaiah-DK Shivakumar Power Struggle Transforms Into Vokkaliga vs Ahinda Battle

Siddaramaiah and DKS have been engaged in a prolonged power struggle over the chief minister's position for more than two years (File).

New Delhi:

The ongoing conflict between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar in Karnataka – a dispute over the chief minister's position that has persisted since the Congress party's electoral victory in 2023 – has transformed into a 'Vokkaliga vs Ahinda' political confrontation following a crucial meeting at the Chief Minister's residence on Thursday.

The gathering included prominent leaders Satish Jarkiholi and G Parameshwara, both of whom play significant roles in this political drama. Parameshwara has emerged as a potential compromise candidate if neither Siddaramaiah nor DKS concede, while Jarkiholi, who aspires to claim DKS' position as state President, has become a focal point for opposition.

NDTV was provided with specifics of this meeting.

The primary objective was to challenge the growing 'Vokkaliga chief minister' narrative, which gained substantial momentum after Nirmalanandanatha Swamiji, a respected religious figure from the Vokkaliga community, publicly endorsed Shivakumar, highlighting his loyalty and extensive service to the party.

'Loyalty' and 'long service to the Congress' have been repeatedly emphasized by DKS' supporters as they intensify pressure on the party's central leadership to replace Siddaramaiah with their preferred candidate.

Siddaramaiah's faction believes this support has amplified the perception that a dominant community – the Vokkaligas and Lingayats represent Karnataka's largest caste groups – is being denied leadership opportunities, particularly since the Lingayat community previously had BJP's BS Yediyurappa as their representative.

This support has effectively established the Vokkaliga vs Ahinda political battleground.

Ahinda refers to a diverse voter coalition – comprising minorities, backward classes, and Dalits – that has consistently supported Siddaramaiah, enabling him to position himself as a 'mass leader' and navigate beyond Karnataka's traditionally bipolar caste dynamics dominated by the Vokkaliga-Lingayat divide.

Siddaramaiah aims to continue serving as Chief Minister until he becomes Karnataka's longest-tenured leader (File).

This substantial support base is a key reason why the Congress tends to favor Siddaramaiah; the significant number of votes he can influence across southern states makes him an invaluable electoral asset.

DKS, meanwhile, belongs to the Vokkaliga community and received recognition for redirecting a substantial portion of those votes from the Janata Dal Secular to the Congress in the 2023 election.

After orchestrating this victory, DKS expected to be appointed chief minister. However, a majority of elected MLAs supported Siddaramaiah, primarily due to his Ahinda coalition backing.

This left the party with limited options. Siddaramaiah was appointed chief minister while DKS had to accept the deputy position while retaining his role as Karnataka Congress chief, a dual responsibility that typically contradicts Rahul Gandhi's 2022 'one man, one post' directive.

Despite this, Shivakumar's ambition remained undimmed; in June his supporters attempted to sideline Siddaramaiah and generated sufficient pressure that forced the Congress to dispatch Randeep Surjewala to Bengaluru to mediate, similar to his intervention following the 2023 election.

DK Shivakumar has openly expressed his desire to become Chief Minister (File).

DKS' faction renewed their efforts this month, referencing a purported 'agreement' stating Siddaramaiah would resign after completing half of the five-year term. This midpoint passed last week with no action from Siddaramaiah, prompting DKS' recent comment about honoring commitments.

Shivakumar's supporters have thus far been the aggressors; last week a contingent including Ramanagara MLA Iqbal Hussain, who informed NDTV he was "200 per cent certain" DKS would prevail and emerge as the new chief minister, arrived in Delhi 24 hours before the aforementioned 'deadline'.

During the meeting at Siddaramaiah's residence, this aggression was noted and the Chief Minister's supporters expressed significant concerns regarding DKS' political opportunism.

To counter this, a decision was made to highlight Karnataka lawmakers' 'multiple issues' with DKS, including statements from his supporters regarding the leadership dispute and his visit to a Bengaluru jail to meet two Congress MLAs, including Vinay Kulkarni, who was arrested in connection with the 2016 murder of a BJP leader.

The prison visit was characterized as 'unnecessary and politically motivated'.

Meanwhile, sources also revealed Siddaramaiah's contingency plans to NDTV, particularly if the Congress favors DKS. The Chief Minister's supporters are prepared to travel to Delhi to pressure the party leadership.

Should the party insist on appointing a new chief minister, they intend to present alternative candidates, underscoring the profound division between Siddaramaiah and DKS.

NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.