A reluctant Siddaramaiah takes oath with DKS as Deputy CM and Eight Ministers

New Delhi: Siddaramaiah took oath as Chief Minister of Karnataka for a second time on Saturday.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president who had challenged Siddaramaiah for the second term as CM took oath as Deputy CM.

Besides them, eight ministers including Priyank Kharge, son of Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge were inducted.

Siddaramaiah, however, appears to be far from being happy unlike in 2013 when he was chosen for the top post.

For, he knows that, unlike in the first term, the post comes with multiple conditions and there will be a deputy Chief Minister to counter.

Top Congress leaders who are in the know things said that fear of losing the CM post to a third person made Siddaramaiah accept the power sharing formula.

When the talks to choose the CM candidate failed even after three days of intense closed door meetings, Shivakumar said to have proposed the party leadership that he had no objection in choosing Mallikarjun Kharge for the CM post.

Sonia Gandhi is said to have spoken to Shivakumar to accept the deputy CM post with an assurance that he will be made the CM after Siddaramaiah’s two year term ends.

Siddaramaiah, however, is said to have refused to have a split term and rejected the deputy CM post for Shivakumar. At this point, the party top leaders in Delhi said to have intervened and informed Siddaramaiah that if he refuses to accept the formula, they will be forced to choose a third person for the CM post.

Fearing of losing the CM post, Siddaramaiah is said to have accepted the offer to be the CM on rotation basis.

Following this, on May 18, after intense closed door meetings for over three days, AICC national general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal announced Siddaramaiah as CM and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president DK Shivakumar as the Deputy CM.

Venugopal, however, didn’t specify the formula that struck the deal between two strong contenders who refused to move an inch from their claim for a full five year term.

Congress won 135 seats in the May 10 elections for which the results were announced on May 13. Siddaramaiah, who was an opposition leader in the Assembly and PCC president Shivakumar were weighing for the post.

An upset Siddaramaiah did’t hide his anger at media when asked about the power sharing formula with Shivakumar. “Who told you? This is all your imagination,’’ he said dismissing the claims that he will step down as CM to make way for Shivakumar after two years.

Tough Encounter:

Ever since he joined the Congress in 2006, Siddaramaiah had his way in the party. He was successful in moving out the then Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Mallikarjun Kharge to get the post. Again in 2013 he managed to win over Kharge for the CM post.
The party had given him freedom to choose his council of ministers. Initially, he had even convinced the high command to keep Shivakumar out of the Cabinet.

Even after losing the 2018, elections, Siddaramaiah had a role to play in ousting the Congress-JDS government as said by former health minister K Sudhakar and remained an Opposition leader after that.

Probably, for the first time Siddaramaiah is facing a tough challenger in Shivakumar who refused to blink. This was a new challenge for the 76-year-old war horse.

Shivakumar will continue to throw gauntlet at Siddaramaiah and keep him on the edge. Siddaramaiah, who has learnt the art of decimating their rivals from none other than former prime minister HD Deve Gowda will not keep quiet either. He is also set to counter Shivakumar within and outside the government.

Power Centres:

From choosing the council of ministers to making key appointments in the government will be a tough task for the new CM as Shivakumar may the former to have his way so easily.

Shivakumar will continue as the President of the KPCC until the Lok Sabha polls in 2024. This is likely to give him a dual powers to have his people within the party and inside the government.

This will lead to creation of two power centres within the Congress and the government that could severely derail administration.

Only Eight Ministers

Only eight Ministers were inducted in the Cabinet on the first day. These include three SC and one each from ST, Lingayat, Reddy, Christian and a Muslim.
Both CM and Deputy CM are set to return to Delhi to finalise the Cabinet composition.

Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar are seeking to accommodate their followers in the Cabinet besides getting powerful portfolios for them is the reason for delay in finalising the Cabinet Ministers, sources said.

Former Deputy CM G Parmeshwar (SC -Right), former union minister KH Muniyappa (SC-Left), former ministers KJ George (Christian), MB Patil (Lingayat), Satish Jarkiholi (ST – Valmiki), Ramalinga Reddy (Vokkaliga – Reddy), BZ Zameer Khan (Muslim) and Priyank Kharge (SC-Right).