Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Credit: DH File Photo
Bengaluru: On January 7, Congress’ regional satrap Siddaramaiah will become the longest-serving chief minister of Karnataka, and preparations are underway to celebrate the feat, which his followers believe can strengthen his position and thwart efforts to have him replaced.
Congress’ social justice icon Devaraj Urs is currently the longest-serving chief minister. He was in office for a total of 2,792 days, or 7.6 years, in two terms.
As of Monday, Siddaramaiah has clocked 2,784 days in office. This includes 1,829 days in his first term (2013 to 2018) and his current one. He will equal Urs’ record on January 6 and surpass it the next day.
Siddaramaiah’s fans and various organisations are planning celebratory events.
The celebrations will also aim to galvanise the Ahinda (acronym for minorities, backward classes and Dalits), Siddaramaiah’s political support base, amid the leadership tussle with his deputy D K Shivakumar.
On January 6, one Ahinda group is planning to serve Nati Koli Oota (country chicken feast) in Bengaluru to celebrate Siddaramaiah’s feat. Senior Congress leader B K Hariprasad unveiled the feast poster.
The Karnataka State Federation of Backward Class Communities is also planning a bash. “We will celebrate the occasion. However, the scale of the celebration is yet to be finalized,” federation president K M Ramachandrappa said.
On January 5, Siddaramaiah is slated to attend a state-level convention of the Kumbara (potter) community. Later in January, a big Ahinda convention is planned in Mysuru, Siddaramaiah’s native.
“We have not asked anybody to organise Ahinda convention,” Social Welfare Minister Dr H C Mahadevappa, a Siddaramaiah loyalist, clarified.
“But there are various communities who are free to organise their conventions”.
Mahadevappa said Siddaramaiah enjoys support across the state.
“Organisations, activists, commoners... their opinion is that Siddaramaiah should continue (as CM) for the all-round development of the state,” he said, adding that these groups that are in favour of Siddaramaiah “contributed” to Congress’ victory in 2023.