Karnataka: Will Congress choose Siddharamaiah or Shivakumar as the next CM?

The counting of the votes for the Karnataka Assembly polls has confirmed that the Congress social gathering is about to win a cosy majority. The voting took place on Wednesday, May 10, with the counting happening on May 13. The important battle for Congress, nonetheless, lies ahead and it is regarding the collection of the chief minister. Former chief minister Siddharamaiah and the Karnataka State Congress president DK Shivakumar are two distinguished aspirants inside the social gathering for the coveted put up.

Siddaramaiah, a veteran Congress chief, not too way back acknowledged that if the Congress social gathering have been to return into vitality, it’d mark his remaining election. He expressed his intention to retire from politics after representing his native constituency of Varuna, the place he is important in opposition to his rival BJP candidate V Somanna. Siddaramaiah said, “I am retiring from politics. I desire to represent my native constituency and place and retire.”

Siddaramaiah held the place of Chief Minister of Karnataka for a interval of 5 years, spanning from 2013 to 2018. Prior to that, all through the sooner BJP authorities, he served as a result of the chief of the Opposition. Ahead of the counting of votes, Yathindra Siddaramaiah, the son of Siddaramaiah, expressed sturdy confidence that his father would protected an “absolute majority” and assume the place of Chief Minister, which based mostly on him is in the easiest curiosity of the state.

DK Shivakumar, an eight-time MLA representing the Kanakapura constituency, could be a formidable contender for the place of Chief Minister in Karnataka. Notably, he is acknowledged as one in every of many wealthiest politicians inside the space, possessing a strong help base. As his social gathering gave the impression to be on the verge of forming the next authorities inside the state, Shivakumar, a loyalist of the social gathering, grew to turn out to be overwhelmed with emotions and broke down on Saturday afternoon. Expressing gratitude, Shivakumar extended his as a result of social gathering cadre and employees for his or her contributions within the route of the election outcomes.

While this entire look was coherent with him being the state president of the social gathering, he moreover took the possibility to level out his loyalty within the route of the Gandhi family – an very important criterion to realize one thing in Congress. Overwhelmed with emotion, Shivakumar expressed his deep gratitude within the route of Sonia Gandhi for her go to to him in jail all through his imprisonment. He said, “I can’t forget Sonia Gandhi visiting me in jail…when BJP people put me in jail.”

Shivakumar had made a giant contribution to the Congress win, and with the social gathering having achieved excellent success inside the Old Mysuru Region, it could be troublesome to overlook his candidacy for the put up. Notably, DK Shivakumar was in ED custody in 2019 for over 50 days in reference to an alleged money laundering case.

Siddaramaiah, belonging to the disadvantaged Kuruba group, along with a Dalit serving as a result of the social gathering president, supplies to the narrative of the Congress as a celebration that prioritizes the welfare of marginalized communities. This facet might help the social gathering inside the upcoming Lok Sabha election as successfully. In the ultimate Lok Sabha election, BJP secured 15 seats from the state. Congress would undoubtedly choose to try Siddharamaiah as quickly as as soon as extra and see if it helps in Lok Sabha polls. Siddharamaiah moreover has a strong keep on many MLAs inside the state.

However, DK Shivakumar is close to the social gathering’s extreme command sitting in Delhi. He is a Gandhi family loyalist. This has moreover earned him help from different state leaders who attempt to be inside the good books of the Gandhis. At the time of conflicts inside the Maharashtra and Rajasthan objects of the social gathering, it was DK Shivakumar who organized resorts for the MLAs to stay. These capabilities and the humility he showcased on digital digicam as he thanked the cadre, carry him to the frontline of the CM race.

The grand earlier social gathering may also take into account a CM and deputy-CM methodology. However, the similar protection utilized with Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot in Rajasthan led to mounted clashes inside the state unit. Pilot was finally away from the put up by Congress. Similarly, Jyotiraditya Scindhia was sidelined by the Congress social gathering whereas giving the CM put as much as Kamal Nath in Madhya Pradesh.

While the victory inside the southern state has boosted the boldness of the social gathering, it’d really not want any comparable disadvantage to come back up in Karnataka that can end up serving to BJP. The willpower for the social gathering administration is thus a hard one, and a significant one.