Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah: Allies on campaign trail, contenders for CM’s chair

They began their political journeys in starkly different ways.

Siddaramaiah rose through the ranks of local politics before entering the assembly in 1983. He then made his way into the Janata Party, the Janata Dal, its splinter Janata Dal (Secular), and finally to the Congress. By the time he joined the Congress party in 2005, he had already held senior portfolios in the state government, including the finance ministry and the deputy chief ministership.

In contrast, DK Shivakumar has remained a lifelong Congressman, beginning his foray in politics as a 27-year-old whiz kid of sorts in 1989 to the battle-hardened troubleshooter and arguably the Congress’s tallest organisational man in the country. The current Karnataka party unit chief also held important portfolios but his real political acumen lies in rescuing the party when its in trouble – be it the government of then chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh in Maharashtra, the Rajya Sabha election of stalwart Ahmed Patel or hosting Congress lawmakers at his resort to stave off poaching attempts.

On Saturday, the two men – the mass leader and the behind-the-scenes handler, the socialist satrap with a welfare-focussed outreach and the backroom strongman with the resources and political nous to steer the campaign ship – came together to deliver the Congress its biggest victory in the state in three decades.

And while speculation swirled about who will become the next chief minister of one of India’s most-important states – to be sure, the 76-year-old Siddaramaiah is considered the front runner ahead of the 60-year-old Shivakumar – there was no doubt that the two men had overcome obstacles both internal and external in their successful quest for an elusive majority, all the while remaining careful to keep their disagreements, if any, out of the public purview.

This was not easy, especially in a state where the rivalling ambitions of the two men is often a matter of public discussion. The first big test came in December 2022, six months before the elections, when the Congress decided it wanted to kick off campaigning for the Karnataka elections early.

The party proposed bus tours by senior leaders across the state; as the state’s two tallest leaders, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, were to travel in two separate buses. But the announcement sent tongues wagging. The BJP was quick to pounce on the opportunity, saying the party couldn’t even make the two share a bus, let alone power. Alarmed, the Congress backtracked. In the end, the two leaders decided to travel a small distance in the same bus, before embarking on their separate routes. It was a symbolic gesture, but one that generated a viral moment, enough for the Congress to bury speculation of a rift.

That image of bonhomie stuck throughout the campaign, as the two leaders made public attempts to be seen as genial with each other, sometimes hugging on stage, appearing on photographs and advertisements together, and even starring in a carefully shot video where they exchanged warm greetings and candid exchanges about life on the campaign trail.

“This (election result in Karnataka) will be a stepping stone for the Congress’s victory in 2024. The Congress won because of the relentless work of our workers and leaders,” Siddaramaiah said, flanked by supporters, and hoped that party leader Rahul Gandhi would become the prime minister in the 2024 general elections. Addressing reporters, he repeatedly said, “This is my last election. I will retire from electoral politics after this.” Siddaramaiah also made it a point to mention Shivakumar as one of the architects of the victory.

The younger man was far more emotional. “I delivered,” said Shivakumar in a touching message to his party on Saturday morning shortly after the results. The teary eyed Congress leader added, “I had promised Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge that I will deliver the state to their fold. When these BJP people put me in jail, I remember Sonia Gandhi came to meet me there. Such is the faith the party, the Gandhi family and the whole country bestowed on me,” he said. Shivakumar, like his senior colleague, ensured he took Siddaramaih’s name as part of his vote of thanks.

The two leaders complement each other’s strengths.

Siddaramaiah was the party’s popular face who hailed from the backward Kuruba community and helped stitch together a remarkable coalition of backwards, minorities and Dalits, known as Ahinda. His record of welfare outreach during his previous term also endeared him to the poor, as did his oratory and wide experience in campaigning.

In contrast, Shivakumar was the party’s principal troubleshooter and its chief organisation man who smoothed every kink in the campaign and helped run the best-managed Congress show in years. He hails from the influential Vokkaliga community, and helped deliver impressive results in the southern Karnataka region. He was also instrumental in crafting an aggressive anti-corruption campaign by utilising the services of the state contractors’ association and coining terms such as “PayCM” and “40% Sarkara” that struck a public chord.

Kharge himself acknowledged their contribution, saying the state unit had shown the country how to defeat the BJP.

Now, all eyes are a meeting of all Congress legislators on Sunday evening. Both leaders have remained amicable and say the party will decide. “Siddaramaiah has an advantage over DK (Shivakumar) because of his seniority and age. His declaration that he will retire from electoral politics will also go in his favour. Moreover, DK, who is 60, has age on his side,” said a senior Congress leader, who was not willing to be named. There was also speculation about an arrangement where Siddaramaiah could take over, and then step aside for Shivakumar towards the end of his term.

So, election done, the two architects of the victory will meet with other party colleagues on Sunday, to sort out the leadership issue — ideally, for the Congress, without a tussle.