Karnataka battle won, Congress now faces tough choice between Siddaramaiah & Shivakumar

BENGALURU/NEW DELHI: The battle won fair and square, Congress now faces the tough task of choosing between Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar and former CM Siddaramaiah for the chief minister’s post. Sources said it may be a prolonged process as the clear mandate allows it to not be in a rush to take the crucial call.
Though the party has convened a legislature party meeting on Sunday, sources said it may only be the first step towards arriving at a decision, and a consensus on the tricky issue may be hammered out in 3-4 days.
There is a strong push to hand over the reins to Shivakumar, who worked on an organisational revamp to ready the party for the electoral battle. But there is also clarity in the Congress that the biggest mass leader in its ranks is OBC face Siddaramaiah, who is also a proven administrator. Sources said he would also have a clear edge in the race, if views of legislators are taken into account.
Asked who would become the CM, Siddaramaiah played to his strength by saying that the high command would send observers, factor in the opinion of newly elected MLAs, and take a decision accordingly.

That can also make the task difficult for Congress, given that Shivakumar would be pushy after the party’s performance in his home belt of Old Mysuru region where he emerged as the premier Vokkaliga face trouncing the traditional favourites, JD(S) of Deve Gowda. Not one to play coy, the state president said he has “delivered” the state as he had promised the Gandhis. Siddaramaiah too hails from the region, though.
The biggest handicap for Shivakumar may be the multiple cases lodged by central probe agencies — CBI, ED and the I-T department. He had earlier spent some 50 days in Tihar jail on charges of money laundering and tax evasion, and is currently out on bail. There is fear that if he is made the CM, the agencies could expedite the cases against him, leading to embarrassment for the government and the Congress.
After the results, an emotional Shivakumar said, “BJP had hatched a conspiracy and gave me options of going to prison or joining BJP. I opted to go to prison. Sonia Gandhi met me in Tihar jail. She believed in me so much.”

In its search for the CM, the biggest consideration for Congress would be using the state victory to prepare the party for a good show in 2024 elections. A sulking Siddaramaiah would be bad news for Congress, as many in the party and beyond perceive him as the best option to counter BJP both at the state and central levels. Besides, Siddaramaiah has announced that this would be his last “chief ministerial election”.

Sources said if Siddaramaiah is given the top job, Shivakumar would have to be convinced and possibly placated with a compensation he deems adequate. Whether that compensation could be a rotational chief ministership formula for Shivakumar is the issue. However, such formulae have not worked for Congress in the past, as seen in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. Besides, it is unlikely to be acceptable to Siddaramaiah. Given that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is an old Karnataka hand, he is likely to steer the process, while consulting all, including Rahul Gandhi.
Watch Karnataka Polls 2023: Who will get the top job, Siddaramaiah or Shivakumar?