Overnight meeting, breakfast cheer, give & take: how deal sealed for CM Siddaramaiah, Deputy Shivakumar

In a tweet, AICC in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala said the resolution was endorsed by all the CLP members “unanimously”.

Sh. D.K.Shivakumar moves a resolution to elect Sh. Siddaramaiah as the new leader of Congress Legislature Party in #Karnataka .

All the members of CLP endorse it unanimously. pic.twitter.com/lWrhMuK7T8

— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) May 18, 2023

Congress sources said the swearing-in will see around 20 ministers inducted into the Cabinet. Negotiations are on over the number of loyalists from both the Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar camps to be given Cabinet berths, they said.

The deadlock over the Karnataka government formation ended earlier in the day in Delhi as Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar – who had not met even once despite being in the Capital for the last two days – reached K C Venugopal’s residence for breakfast. The two leaders were not fully in agreement with the leadership formula which had been hammered out until hours earlier.

By the wee hours of Thursday, however, the Congress leadership finally managed to persuade Shivakumar, 61, to accept the post of Deputy Chief Minister, on the promise that he would be the sole Deputy CM.

While Siddaramaiah, 75, remained the high command’s choice for CM throughout the two days of talks, it did not want to ignore Shivakumar’s claim and leave him fretting and fuming. On the other hand, the leadership desperately wanted the Vokkaliga heavyweight known for his organisational skills to be part of the government to ensure stability.

This is particularly true given that the Lok Sabha elections are just a little over a year away. A united house would be a prerequisite for the party to translate its Assembly election victory into Lok Sabha success in the state which accounts for 28 seats – the seventh largest in the country in terms of constituencies.

Both party president Mallikarjun Kharge and his predecessor Sonia Gandhi were also of the view that Shivakumar deserved recognition for his contribution to the party and for leading it to victory. Sonia’s assurance in as many words to Shivakumar is said to have proved the clincher. Shivakumar was told that he had time on his side and the party saw in him a future leader of Karnataka.

Karnataka’s secure future and our peoples welfare is our top priority, and we are united in guaranteeing that. pic.twitter.com/sNROprdn5H

— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) May 18, 2023

Sources said that earlier, on Wednesday, Shivakumar was conveyed during meetings with Rahul Gandhi and Kharge that Siddaramaiah would become CM. Rahul made it clear that the CM would be the leader with the support of a majority of the MLAs, and that the party would honour their views, making the writing in the wall clear for Shivakumar.

Sources said Rahul also clearly told Shivakumar that he needed to follow the decision taken by the Congress president (Kharge), and tone down any voices of protest.

Another negative on Shivakumar’s side were the Enforcement Directorate and CBI cases against him.

Apart from the fact that most of the MLAs are with Siddaramaiah, the Congress leadership also prefers the former CM as he holds a credible record of governance at a time that it wants to showcase governance as a strength before the next round of Assembly elections, and the big Lok Sabha battle next year. The party wants to roll out its welfare promises as early as possible and ensure that the benefits reach the people soon.

The strong appeal that Siddaramaiah has among the Dalits, backward classes and Muslims is another plus which could come in handy in the Lok Sabha elections.

Shivakumar’s side pressed for power-sharing with Siddaramaiah during the five-year term, and a public announcement on the same, as a prime condition. His associates cited the ignominious fate of the Congress Deputy CM who was at the receiving end of an unofficial power-sharing pact of the party in Chhattisgarh, and the never-settled power tussle between the CM and Deputy CM in Rajasthan.

Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar with party leaders Randeep Surjewala, Siddaramaiah and others celebrates his birthday after the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting, in Bengaluru. (PTI Photo)

Shivakumar drove a hard bargain on the matter, but the Congress refused to commit to it, or to make a public announcement about it. Shivakumar’s hand was forced due to fast-paced developments Wednesday, including celebrations outside Siddaramiah’s residence in Bengaluru, and slogan shouting by Shivakumar supporters in Delhi, which were frowned upon by the leadership.

While sources close to Shivakumar continued to insist Thursday that the pact involved a two-and-a-half-year term-sharing formula, the party leadership was noncommittal.

The last hurdle was Shivakumar’s insistence that he would not be one of two or three Deputy CMs. There was talk that the Congress was thinking about making one or two leaders from the Lingayat, Dalit and Muslim communities also as Deputy CMs.

Sources said Kharge spoke to former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who is in Shimla, to figure out the nuances of the details. During back-to-back late night meetings, AICC general secretary in-charge of organisation K C Venugopal and AICC in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Surjewala convinced Shivakumar that he would be the sole Deputy CM.

With Shivakumar finally agreeing to the formula, Venugopal and Surjewala met Siddaramaiah with it. Sources said Siddaramaiah was not happy with the one Deputy CM formula as he was of the view that the party should ensure “social balance”. But, “reluctantly”, he too agreed.

Meanwhile, as Siddaramaiah met Venugopal and Surjewala, Shivakumar dropped in at Kharge’s 10, Rajaji Marg, for a brief confabulation.

With both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar on board, Venugopal and Surjewala met Kharge for the final go-ahead. Shortly after 2 am, Shivakumar’s letter to MLAs informing them about the CLP meeting in Bengaluru on Thursday evening was released.

Shivakumar’s brother and Lok Sabha MP D K Suresh could not hide his disenchantment at how things had turned out. He said he was not fully happy and that there was a long way to go.

Leaving nothing to chance till the end, Venugopal and Surjewala next ensured a picture of bonhomie, with Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar joining them for breakfast. The two Karnataka leaders drove in separate cars, but all four drove away together to Kharge’s residence.

Later, Siddaramaiah flew back to Bengaluru in a special plane with Shivakumar and Venugopal. He had come to Delhi along with aides, who were asked to stay back to make room for the two.

DK Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah, Mallikarjun Kharge during the press meet at KPCC, Bengaluru. (Express Photo by Jithendra M)

Asked whether there was a power-sharing formula between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, Venugopal said Thursday: “(We will) share power with the people of Karnataka. Only that is there. Nothing else.” He also announced that Shivakumar would continue as Karnataka Congress president, “till the Parliament elections are over” – which seemed to indicate that there could be a change after that. And that Siddaramaiah would take oath with a group of ministers on May 20 at 12.30 pm.

Venugopal and Surjewala said both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have the capability to become CM and lead the state. Venugopal said he saw nothing wrong in both staking claim for the top post. “Everybody has their own wish, their own desire to become CM… Both deserved it too.”

The party is planning to make the oath-taking ceremony a platform to showcase Opposition unity. Kharge has started inviting senior Opposition leaders to the event.

According to a letter from the Benglaru city police, the swearing-in ceremony will be attended by Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Kharge has also invited West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, her counterparts from Rajasthan (Ashok Gehlot), Chattisgarh (Bhupesh Baghel), Bihar (Nitish Kumar), Tamil Nadu (M K Stalin), Himachal Pradesh (Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu), Jharkhand (Hemant Soren) and Puducherry (N Rangaswamy) to attend the event.