SIDDARAMAIAH: THE CONG BULWARK

FROM taking the fight against the Centre's alleged 'step-motherly' treatment of Karnataka to the national capital, to giving Congress a 'Karnataka model' to bolster its fight against BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Siddaramaiah has been at the centre of power, influence and controversies.

- RAMU PATIL

ROM taking the fight against the Centre's alleged 'step-motherly' treatment of Karnataka to the national capital, to giving Congress a 'Karnataka model' to bolster its fight against BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Siddaramaiah has been at the centre of power, influence and controversies. Being the Chief Minister, he draws attention by default. Yet, it has been a most eventful year for the 77-year-old leader. He was full of action for good or not-so-good reasons.

In the second year of his second stint as chief minister, he faced the toughest challenges in his over four-decade political career. Yet, he is growing strong. Siddaramaiah was almost projected as the poster boy of the party ahead of the Lok Sabha polls when Congress saw a glimmer of hope of a comeback at the Centre. Congress's central leaders harped on the Karnataka model of governance and its guarantee schemes.

Siddaramaiah remains its mainstay in Karnataka and has emerged as one of its most formidable regional satraps. He is among the handful of mass leaders with a pan-Karnataka appeal, and he has positioned himself as an indispensable leader for his party and the government.

He remained a strong critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and never let go of any opportunity to hit out at them. Though AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge hails from the state and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar is a formidable number two in the government, Siddaramaiah has held his own. At times, it even looked as though his brand of politics was overriding that of the party. Such an approach landed the party in a tight spot in some instances, including issues relating to Waqf land and the Panchamasali Lingayat reservation.