Siddu vs DK battle escalates

All does not seem to be well in Karnataka where the power tussle between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Pradesh Congress Chief and Deputy CM, D.K. Shivakumar appears to have once again resurfaced.

- PANKAJ VOHRA

A few MLAs owing allegiance to Shivakumar are believed to have informed the high command that the time for the transition had come, and there should be a change in the leadership that would be in the overall interest of the party.

In the background of this new round of confrontation is the unwritten agreement at the time of swearing in of the government in 2023 that the CM's post would be rotational; the first two and a half years for Siddaramaiah and the remaining period for DK.

Although, no Congress leader is willing to confirm this pact on record, yet this impression persists, and therefore it is not surprising at all, that the issue has again cropped up. On their part, both Siddu and DK, as the two are generally referred to, have publicly expressed their resolve to work together and abide by the directions of the top leadership.

Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress president, who was in Bengaluru recently, created another controversy where instead of denying that there was any move for change of guard, stated that the party high command would take the final view on the subject. Many political observers wanted to know that whether his reference to the high command was aimed at pointing out that even if he was the boss on paper, the decision was taken elsewhere, meaning by Rahul Gandhi.