Karnataka Suspense: Siddaramaiah In Delhi, DK Shivakumar Cancels Visit

DK Shivakumar, the Karnataka Congress chief who is in the running for the state's top post, today claimed credit for the party's victory in the state, saying he has the backing of 135 MLAs. The Congress won 135 seats in the state in the last week's assembly election, including Siddaramaiah, Mr Shivakumar's rival for the top post.

"Yesterday 135 MLAs have given their opinion and passed a one-line resolution, few have expressed their personal opinion. My power is the 135 MLAs. Under my leadership, the Congress has won 135 seats," Mr Shivakumar said.

Mr Shivakumar also took credit for rebuilding the party after the coalition government with HD Kumaraswamy collapsed as nearly 20 MLAs left and joined the BJP.  

"A single man with courage makes a majority and I have proved it. I don't want to disclose what all has happened in the last five years," he told reporters. "When our MLAs went out of the party, i did not lose heart and took the responsibility with courage. Mallikarjun Kharge is the senior leader and Sonia and Rahul Gandhi have confidence in us. We will leave the matter to them," he added.

"I will finish my private programme and visit my God and go to Delhi. Our high command had called me and Siddaramaiah. I'm late," said Mr Shivakumar, who is also celebrating his birthday today. Later, though, the leader said he would not to coming tonight.

Mr Siddaramaiah is already in Delhi for the meeting with the Congress leadership, which has been sounding out the state leaders to know their preference for the top post. The team is understood to have briefed the party's national leadership, which includes Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Rahul Gandhi.

The final decision will be taken by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, who is also one of Congress's tallest leaders in the state.

The party had followed the same process in faction-ridden Punjab in 2021, replacing Amarinder Singh with Charanjit Singh Channi on the Chief Minister's post. The move had backfired and Congress was routed by Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party in the assembly election that followed.

For Karnataka, the choice will be equally tricky. In the run-up to the election, the party has been able to project a united front despite the deep divide between Mr Shivakumar and Mr Siddaramaiah. Their supporters, though, have often publicly clashed on the question of the top post.  

While Mr Shivakumar is known for his role as the strategist and trouble shooter of the party, Mr Siddaramaiah is a former Chief Minister and one of the biggest mass leaders of the state.

Mr Shivakumar, though, is being investigated in several corruption cases, an impediment compared to the clean image of Mr Siddaramaiah. the former Chief Minister, however, has alienated the party's old guard. He also may not have the support of the crucial Vokkaliga caste groups.

A special NDTV survey in partnership with Lokniti-Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) has found that he is the most popular choice for the post. More than 40 per cent people said he would be their choice for the post.

Mr Siddaramaiah has said this election will be his last, in what is seen as a signal both to the party and Mr Shivakumar.

KPCC general secretary and Shivakumar loyalist Milind Dharmasen told NDTV, "The Congress gave Siddaramaiah the opportunity of being the Leader of the Opposition and later the Chief Minister's post... now what's wrong if DK is asking for top post".