CM Siddaramaiah’s son projects Satish Jarkiholi as political heir to his father

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s son Yathindra has projected PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi as the potential political successor to his father, triggering fresh speculations over the alleged power tussle between Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar. 

Speaking during a programme on Wednesday, Yathindra said: “Today, my father is at the fag end of his political career. In such a time, someone with ideological and progressive ideas should take leadership. I believe that Jarkiholi will take such a responsibility and be a model to everyone who believes in the ideology of the Congress.”

Yathindra later clarified that he was referring to 2028 (when next Assembly elections are due), after which his father may not continue in electoral politics. 

Speaking to reporters in Belagavi, even Sathish reiterated that his ambitions were for 2028. “I have said that my claim is for 2028. The final decision should be made by the party. Everything cannot be decided today. There are still 30 months left.”

A source in the know told DH that Yathindra’s comments were not coincidental, but rather a well-thought-out decision. “Since he (Yathindra) is making a statement and dropping a name for the first time, it seems like the Siddaramaiah camp has got some message from the High Command regarding leadership change,” the source added.

While Siddaramaiah’s loyalists have been reiterating that he will remain in power for a full five-year term for a while, those close to Shivakumar feel the alleged power struggle mandates two-and-a-half years for both (30 months each). This fuelled speculations that there would be a change of guard in November. However, by pitching a new name for the CM post for the first time, Yathindra has opened doors for new political possibilities.

Why Satish?

Satish Jarkiholi has been a staunch Siddaramaiah loyalist for over two decades. When Siddaramaiah was expelled from the JD(S), Satish joined him and has since been with him. The 63-year-old politician hails from the Nayaka (ST community) and has grown in Siddaramaiah’s mould of AHINDA (Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes and Dalits) politics. Ever since the Congress came to power in the state, he has time and again brandished his loyalty to the chief minister.

Secondly, the PWD minister — like Siddaramaiah — is ideologically committed to secular principles and is a rationalist. On December 06, 2014, Satish and a few hundred of his followers visited a crematorium in Belagavi to observe the death anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar. During the 2018 Assembly elections, Satish filed his nomination papers during the ‘Raahukala’ (considered ‘inauspicious’ by the conservatives).

ST reservation angle

Currently, the demands to add the Kuruba community to the ST list have been opposed by the Nayaka community, which feels its reservation share will be reduced. By projecting Satish as his ideological successor, Siddaramaiah — the preeminent Kuruba leader — could be trying to assuage the Nayaka community, an important part of his larger AHINDA support base. Satish is also the only ST minister in the Cabinet (B Nagendra and KN Rajanna were sacked earlier).