God, Grit & The Government: The Power Tussle Between Siddaramaiah, DK Shivakumar

Last Updated:October 18, 2025, 13:05 IST

As the half-way deadline of November approaches, the Congress in Karnataka is slowly finding itself split between the two power centres it tried so hard to balance in 2023

The Siddaramaiah-Shivakumar dynamic has become the Congress’ greatest balancing act. (PTI)

From fasting during Navratri to praying at Mecca and seeking blessings at the Hasanamba temple—supporters of Karnataka’s deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar seem to be invoking divine intervention to ensure he gets the chair that has eluded him so far. Their mission is clear: make Shivakumar chief minister. Their methods? Everything from religion to rhetoric.

The whispers about a change in leadership in Karnataka are no longer whispers. They are loud, persistent, and politically loaded. Several Congress MLAs have openly stated that Siddaramaiah must soon hand over the reins to Shivakumar—a statement that has once again brought to the surface the long-running undercurrent within the Congress government over the question of succession.

When Shivakumar visited the Hasanamba Temple this week, his words reignited the buzz. “Only I and God know when I will become chief minister," he said with a smile—a line that was as much a tease as it was a declaration. It was his way of signalling that the wait continues, but perhaps not indefinitely.

If the divine appeals are theatrical, they’re also deeply symbolic of how far his loyalists are willing to go.

Rizwan Pasha, vice-president of the Bengaluru South District Youth Congress, offered prayers at Mecca holding up a photograph of Shivakumar and his brother, MP DK Suresh. “Both leaders are like my two eyes," he declared in a video from the holy shrine.

Back home, Congress MLA Dr HD Ranganath, who is also a relative of Shivakumar, undertook a nine-day Navratri fast with one specific wish that Shivakumar becomes Karnataka’s chief minister by the end of 2025.

But these overt acts of devotion are only one part of the larger story.

The Congress in Karnataka is slowly finding itself split between the two power centres it tried so hard to balance in 2023—Siddaramaiah, the old warhorse of AHINDA politics, and Shivakumar, the combative organiser who helped deliver victory for the party.

The so-called “2.5-year formula"—an alleged understanding between the two camps that Siddaramaiah would serve half the term before passing the baton—is like a ghost that refuses to leave Vidhana Soudha.

Siddaramaiah, meanwhile, continues to play the statesman. “No one can become chief minister without the support of legislators and the blessings of the high command," he reminded reporters in a media interaction in Bagalkote. He pointedly emphasised that both factors mattered—a subtle but firm message to his ambitious deputy as well.

Shivakumar, for his part, insists that the decision lies solely with the high command, though his supporters seem convinced that the countdown has begun.

The political theatre reached another level recently when Shivakumar launched his biography— A Symbol of Loyalty: DK Shivakumar, written by journalist KM Raghu.

In the speech he made at the event, Shivakumar revealed how the BJP had once offered him the post of deputy chief minister during the 2019 political crisis—an offer he claims to have turned down in favour of going to jail. “I prefer jail to becoming deputy chief minister," he said.

Calling himself the party loyalist who never strayed even when power was within reach was an unmistakable message to his rivals, his high command, and perhaps even to the sitting CM.

The BJP, never one to miss a political opening, quickly turned this into a taunt. Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka dubbed Shivakumar’s remarks his “message to the Congress high command" and hinted at a “November Revolution"—referring to speculation that the Congress government could see a leadership change when it completes its halfway mark next month.

Inside the Congress, the dissent is both disciplined and defiant.

Supporters of Shivakumar and MLAs like HA Iqbal Hussain and HC Balakrishna have repeatedly stated that Shivakumar “deserves a chance to lead", citing his organisational grit, fundraising muscle, and the fact that his Mekedatu Yatra helped energise the Congress base when it needed it most.

Hussain even went so far as to reveal that the leadership transition was decided in Delhi in 2023 itself, in the presence of Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Mallikarjun Kharge. His comments earned him a sharp notice from the KPCC chief—Shivakumar himself.

“Discipline is important. Siddaramaiah is the chief minister and we all should strengthen his hands," Shivakumar said, attempting to strike a note of unity even as his own camp fans the flames. But the political message between the lines is clear—the clock is ticking, and the calls for change are getting louder.

The Congress high command, however, has shown no signs of rushing into any change. AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala had spent the months firefighting, urging MLAs to stop making public statements and focus on governance instead. But in Karnataka, politics often has a way of eclipsing governance.

The Siddaramaiah-Shivakumar dynamic has become the Congress’ greatest balancing act—one built on mutual dependence and simmering competition.

Siddaramaiah needs Shivakumar’s organisational strength and Vokkaliga support base to keep the BJP and JD(S) at bay in southern Karnataka. Shivakumar, on the other hand, needs Siddaramaiah’s stature and backing from AHINDA communities to hold the government together. It’s an alliance stitched in necessity but strained by ambition.

As November—the so-called halfway mark— approaches, the “will-he-won’t-he" suspense over Shivakumar’s elevation will only grow. His supporters, from temples to mosques, seem to be running a parallel campaign of faith and fervour.

Whether their prayers will be answered or not depends less on gods and more on the Congress high command in Delhi, which alone holds the keys to the political throne in Karnataka. Until then, every temple visit, every fast, and every fiery remark will keep this political see-saw swinging—one side anchored in loyalty, the other in power.

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