The first questions that came to mind following Siddaramaiah’s immediate decision to step down as Chief Minister of Karnataka at the high command’s orders were not ‘when?’ or ‘why?’ but, ‘how come?’
Anyone familiar with Siddaramaiah’s political career knows that he does not react well to orders that threaten his power or legacy.
The 77-year-old Chief Minister, who has built a reputation for resilience and resistance, caved in at the pinnacle of his political career.
In 1996, he challenged JH Patel being chosen over him as CM. In 2004, he questioned his former mentor HD Deve Gowda’s decision to make him deputy to Dharam Singh and deny him the top chair. This eventually led to a bitter fall out with Gowda, after which Siddaramaiah joined the Congress and then edged out veteran Congress leaders, first to become the Leader of the Opposition barely two years after joining and then Chief Minister in 2013.
Even when he lost power in 2018 and forged an alliance with the Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular), Siddaramaiah refused to cede power to his successor, HD Kumaraswamy, controlling the government from outside and even refusing to vacate the Chief Minister’s official residence, Cauvery. In 2023, he got his way again by edging out DK Shivakumar.
While the high command’s decision to demand his resignation came as a surprise to Siddaramaiah, the latter agreeing to it without a fight must have shocked the central leadership even more.
Given the Congress’ experience with senior leaders in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, and earlier instances in Karnataka itself, Siddaramaiah’s decision goes against every grain of political precedence in the state’s volatile political landscape. And that is why Siddaramaiah is ThePrint’s Newsmaker of the Week.
Two power centres
The obvious question one might ask is: why Siddaramaiah and not his likely successor, DK Shivakumar?
While the Deputy Chief Minister is likely to be elevated to the top chair, the high command gains credit for managing the transfer without resistance — Rahul Gandhi bolsters his reputation as a decisive leader, Siddaramaiah walks away from this as the clear winner.
By stepping down without resistance, Siddaramaiah has projected that he is a man of his word. And by not objecting to the high command’s decision on the successor, he has shown a ‘party first’ mentality.
Turning down the high command’s offer to move to Delhi, Siddaramaiah has firmly conveyed that Karnataka will remain his turf and stepping down from the Chief Minister’s post is no indication that he will surrender power or control.
Stating that he will remain politically active and continue in the forefront of state politics is indicative of him retaining control.
“Even before his resignation, there were two power centres in Karnataka; Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah. The Deputy CM of course did nothing to embarrass the party or high command but the same cannot be said of Siddaramaiah,” A Narayana, a Bengaluru-based political analyst and faculty at Azim Premji University, told ThePrint.
Even if Siddaramaiah restrains himself, there is no guarantee that his supporters and loyalists will maintain the same level of dignity, he added.
On Thursday, many senior ministers and MLAs openly remarked that Siddaramaiah should continue as CM and several more have questioned the choice of his possible replacement.
Now with hectic lobbying going on for the new cabinet, chinks are slowly begining to emerge.
Also read: DK Shivakumar—the ‘Rock’ at the door of power. What it means for Karnataka and Congress
Power over position
Siddaramaiah spent the better part of Friday in Delhi, meeting with the Congress high command. Pictures of him embracing Rahul Gandhi and getting felicitated by Mallikarjuna Kharge and the praise heaped on him by the central leadership has cemented his place among the statesmen of Karnataka politics. But the meeting with the high command with his son and loyalists only intensified suspicion of Siddaramaiah’s potentially greater role in the new government.
Sources indicate that Siddaramaiah is demanding his pound of flesh — two to three deputy chief ministers under the next chief minister, significant portfolio allocations to his loyalists, change of the state Congress president, and even a possible inclusion of his MLC son, Yathindra, into the cabinet.
This begs the question of whether Shivakumar will have to operate under Siddaramaiah’s shadow.
Siddaramaiah is also the bridge between the backward classes support base for the Congress, and the party will do everything to ensure that the 77-year-old does not feel slighted. Because the last thing it wants is to repeat the BJP’s mistake with BS Yediyurappa — a mass leader sidelined only to remain politically indispensable.
Any perceived insult to Siddaramaiah will not go down well with his loyalists and can lead to alienation of significant support bases.
Shivakumar also has a very combative, confrontational approach to politics.
And history points out that in Karnataka, only those who can forge local coalitions across the aisle can last.
Siddaramaiah, BS Yediyurappa, Deve Gowda have remained relevant for over four decades despite losing elections or positions.
They are cut from the same cloth: power over position.
Views are personal.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)