While the elections in Karnataka are still on the horizon, the public jockeying for the position of chief minister in the event of a Congress victory has already begun. D.K. Shivakumar, the State Congress chief, openly expressed his desire for the role during a press event in Mysuru this week. In response, other party leaders have started presenting their own qualifications to counter his claim.
M.B. Patil, the chairman of the Congress campaign committee for the 2023 polls, who was perceived as an attempt to restrain Shivakumar, was the first to do so. Patil, a close associate of former CM Siddaramaiah and a prominent Lingayat leader, emphasized that leadership could come from various communities, including Vokkaligas, Lingayats, Dalits, and minority leaders. Shivakumar had earlier sought support from the Vokkaliga community in South Karnataka to bolster his chances of becoming CM.
Patil asserted that all leaders would be considered if the Congress secures victory, stating, “We are not second-class citizens… We have to come to power on our own strength, and then, based on the opinion of the elected legislators, the high command will make the final decision. We may all aspire to be CM, but it will not happen according to our wishes.”
As a Lingayat, Patil plays a crucial role in Karnataka Congress leadership, addressing a gap that contributed to his appointment as the campaign chief. His involvement in the campaign for Lingayat faith recognition as a minority religion during the Congress government in 2013-18 positioned him as a potential leader against the BJP’s Lingayat leader, B.S. Yediyurappa.
Shivakumar’s ambitions faced opposition from Zameer Ahmed Khan, a Muslim leader and former minister closely associated with Siddaramaiah. Khan stressed the need for support from all communities, countering Shivakumar’s focus on the Vokkaliga community. In response, Shivakumar dismissed Khan’s remarks, emphasizing the Congress’s need for support from all communities.
The discussions about the CM post within the Congress gained momentum following the elaborate plans for former CM Siddaramaiah’s 75th birthday, seen by some as an indirect effort to project him as the party’s preeminent leader. Patil, however, refuted this, stating that the celebration was a commemoration of Siddaramaiah’s service and contributions, with the participation of leaders like Rahul Gandhi.
Amidst these developments, the ruling BJP in Karnataka expressed bemusement at the Congress’s internal dynamics, with Yediyurappa confidently asserting that the BJP would secure a majority, resulting in a BJP CM.
