Siddaramaiah Summoned To Delhi, Will DKS Get The Crown?

When Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah received a call from the Congress high command to visit New Delhi on May 26, it brought a lot of cheer in Congress top brass in the state. It was felt the high command was finally providing clarity on the leadership dispute between Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar (DKS). Siddaramiah’s visit to Delhi reignited a state Cabinet reshuffle and transition of power. He was informed about the meeting by AICC General Secretary (org) K C Venugopal. He dismissed as speculation his visit to Delhi as “an imminent leadership transition”. Though there was buzz that he was being called for a Cabinet reshuffle, party sources were still hoping that there would be some change; a new CM, possibly DKS aided and assisted by 3-4 deputy CMs. Of course, sources close to the Sidda camp felt the CM will resist it by pushing for Parameshwara, a Dalit as CM. Congress sources were hoping that DKS could pull off what veteran BJP leader B S Yediyurappa had managed in 2019 with three deputy CMs. “From CM’s son to Kharge’s son, our list of deputy CM hopefuls is quite large”, said a party source. It is possible, Siddaramaiah is being called for deliberations on the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. Given its legislative majority, Congress is comfortably positioned to win three of the four seats heading into the polls. Four Rajya Sabha vacancies have risen upon the completion of the terms of AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Janata Dal (Secular) supremo H D Deve Gowda and BJP MPs Iranna Kadadi and K Narayana. While the Congress will certainly re-nominate Kharge seat, the BJP is likely to re-nominate the former PM. Meanwhile, there is much speculation that the Congress may bring in former MLA Dr Anjali Nimbalkar into the Rajya Sabha. A physician, she is much remembered for saving the life of an American passenger last year on Goa-Delhi flight.