After negotiations for four days, the Congress has decided that Siddaramaiah will be the next Chief Minister of the state. DK Shivakumar who had put up a tough fight and asserted that it was his turn to be Chief Minister, will take oath as Deputy Chief Minister. According to sources, DK Shivakumar will remain the PCC president and a term-rotating formula between him and Siddaramaiah has also been agreed upon.
Siddaramaiah will not be the Chief Minister for the entire term of five years, however the Congress hasn’t chalked out the plan for the handover for now. It is most likely that the reins will be handed over to DKS after 2.5 years.
A top source in the Congress said, “The party could not take any decision without taking both these leaders together with us. They are both vital to us. Moreover, DKS is the PCC chief, there is no way we would announce a decision without hearing him out. This may look like rebellion to the media, but it isn’t. He has a case to present, and so does Siddaramaiah,” the source said.
All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi have held several rounds of talks with the two contenders. Sources say it has also been conveyed to Siddaramaiah that he will not have the kind of autonomy he did during his last outing. In 2013, he ran his government with a relatively free hand; he had the liberty to choose his cabinet and also had the final say in most policy and governance matters. But this time, DK Shivakumar will be allowed to get plum portfolios for himself and his supporters.
A source said that Siddaramaiah was contemplating not contesting the Assembly elections, owing to age and health factors but was convinced by Rahul Gandhi to do so. At the grand event held to celebrate Siddaramaiah’s birthday in Karnataka’s Davanagere in August 2022, Rahul Gandhi, who had come down to be part of the celebrations, had assured the former CM that if the party came back to power, he would have the high command’s backing to be the CM.