Shivakumar’s crucial weekend

Earlier this week, Karnataka politics saw a decisive turning point. Two remarks highlighted this.

- ADITI PHADNIS

“When I first became finance minister, I was mocked that this Kuruba can’t even count sheep. I took that as a challenge and went on to present 16 Budgets,” Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said as he presented the state Budget earlier this week. He added: “I'll present the 17th Budget, too.” The Congress leadership in the state tried to look carefully expressionless.

Within days, his deputy and state Congress chief, D K Shivakumar, presented an enigma wrapped in a mystery and cloaked as a threat when he said at a party event: “I cannot hold the post (of Congress chief) permanently... it has already been five and a half years and in March it will be six.” When asked about leadership change in the state government, he advised reporters to “consult an astrologer”. And so, Karnataka’s quest for a November revolution ended — not with a bang but with a whimper.

‘The backgrounds well known. In November, the Congress government completed two and a half years of its tenure in power. According to a supposed understanding reached between the two tallest leaders in the Congress in the state in 2023 just after the Assembly polls, Mr Siddaramaiah would be chief minister for the first half of the five-year term, followed by Mr Shivakumar. In the interim Mr Shivakumar was made deputy chief minister.