Sure-footed Congress top brass ensured Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah’s honourable, hassle-free exit

Rising unease among MLAs over leadership uncertainty, perception of electoral troubles in 2028 under an ageing CM, and Kerala poll victory hasten power transition in Karnataka.

New Delhi: A growing perception of electoral troubles in 2028 under an ageing Chief Minister, open admission of senior leaders about confusion owing to no clarity on leadership and rising unease among MLAs appeared to have prompted the Congress to go in for a transition of power in Karnataka mid-way, which it could not enforce in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh earlier.

The party has managed to effect the change in Karnataka, as MLAs seen to be supporting Siddaramaiah have been restive in the recent past over a drifting administration owing to suspense over whether he would continue to be the Chief Minister for the full term. It was not resentment but concern for their own future prospects that prompted them to readjust their priorities.

The job was made easier for his supporters as Siddaramaiah had in April 2024 announced that he would not be contesting the 2028 elections. In such a scenario, sources indicated, Siddaramaiah's supporters, especially the “original” Congress leaders, as he comes from the Janata Dal fold, were looking at their future too.

Over the years, Siddaramaiah has been denying the existence of a power-sharing agreement. It appeared that he was banking on the high command’s inability to force a change in Rajasthan — where Ashok Gehlot torpedoed plans to remove him as Chief Ministers by making him party chief — and in Chhattisgarh earlier.

However, sources said, the leadership felt it was time to assert, with the Kerala victory giving it a perfect setting to act on Karnataka despite knowing the risks involved — Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections just days away, removing its lone OBC Chief Minister for a dominant Vokkaliga leader and uncertainty on controlling the ‘Ahinda’ communities.

That is exactly why the leadership wanted Siddaramaiah to announce his stepping down instead of it being done in Delhi, sources said. While the leadership wanted him to stay in power for a fortnight, Siddaramaiah did not want to continue after top leader Rahul Gandhi, who supported the Kuruba leader, made his plans clear about the transition of power.

The 77-year-old is also not inclined to take the ‘Nitish route’ — to come to Rajya Sabha — of moving to political oblivion and his successor, D K Shivakumar, will have to fill the big shoes of the "self-made, pan-Karnataka leader", who left the JD(S) with his supporters to join the Congress in 2006. 

The Congress is aware of his popularity and his vote-catching ability, unmatched in the party at present, and it was this that led him to the Chief Minister’s chair, pipping Mallikarjun Kharge, now Congress president, in 2013.

Interestingly, the change of baton comes without the usual drama associated with such episodes. The ambivalence of MLAs on the leadership question despite no dramatic changes in their allegiance eased pressure on the high command even as demands for a Dalit leader to succeed Siddaramaiah were periodically raised whenever the issue of leadership change arose.

However, no such demands were raised as the high ccommand executed a plan that was unfolding in a pace it wanted without demeaning the outgoing leader.