DK Shivakumar’s Wry One-Liner in Power Clash With Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar cracked a tongue-in-cheek, tongue-in-cheek comment about the importance of discovering a chair — a phrase that has restarted speculation about a purported power-sharing pact with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

While speaking at the Kempegowda Jayanti event organized by the Bangalore Advocates Association on Friday, Shivakumar adopted a philosophical stance.

Pointing towards empty chairs at the venue, he said, "I see lawyers here who are numerous but not sitting on seats even though there are vacant chairs available, while we are all fighting to get one. It is not easy to get a chair. When you find a chance, you have to sit and not lose the opportunity."

He went on to say, "It appears that most of you are very self-sacrificing in nature. So good a building has been constructed with excellent chairs, utilize the opportunities when you have them."

While greeted with laughter from the public, the remarks were generally understood to be a thinly veiled reference to the internal power dynamics within the Congress party in Karnataka, particularly in the face of long-standing rumors of a leadership rotation agreement.

There has been speculation since the Congress took over in May 2023 about an alleged pact between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, according to which the former would be in charge of the state for the first 2.5 years before passing on the baton to his deputy. But the Congress party has never acknowledged such an agreement in public.

Adding to the suspense, Siddaramaiah on Thursday ruled out any chance of resigning early. Speaking to NDTV upon his return from the national capital, he stated, "The issue of leadership is not with the high command. It (Shivakumar's rebellion) has been settled. I am receiving the complete support of the Congress high command. I would not have continued if they had not endorsed me." He went on to state that the Chief Minister's chair was "not vacant."

Also returning from Delhi, Shivakumar declined to escalate the matter. He told reporters, “The Chief Minister has already communicated what the high command has said. He has answered all your questions. After that, it's not right for me to keep making statements or for you to keep asking them. I don't know why you're so concerned or in such a hurry about me. I'm certainly not in a hurry.”

State Home Minister G Parameshwara, however, opined on the current buzz that the controversy may not have escalated if the Congress leadership had proactively tackled the issue. He added that clarity from the party's general secretaries at an early stage may have averted the confusion.

Although Shivakumar's remarks probably were supposed to be harmless humor, they have incontestably reopened the discussion about Congress's organizational leadership intra-scenario in Karnataka — and this one does not appear to be dying down.