Karnataka Congress in turmoil: Poster war exposes deepening rift between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar
Bengaluru: A fresh round of political turbulence has gripped Karnataka as the verbal duel between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar escalated into a full-blown display of internal rift, forcing the Congress high command to summon senior leaders to Delhi for damage control.
The controversy began after Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar declared on Wednesday, “Word power is world power, the greatest power in the world is keeping one’s word. Whether it is a judge, a president or anyone else including me, everyone should act according to their word.” The post, amplified through his official X account with a stylised poster, quickly drew attention. But within hours, Shivakumar distanced himself from it, claiming, “It is not my poster.”
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah responded sharply with a post of his own, writing, “Words that do not improve people’s lives and the world have no power.” He attached a poster that read: “The word we gave to the people of Karnataka is not just a slogan, it is the world for us.”
In a detailed statement, Siddaramaiah asserted that governance, not rhetoric, defines leadership. “The power given by the people of Karnataka is not a momentary mantra. It is a full responsibility of five years,” he said. Citing the government’s achievements, he added, “We have provided more than ₹600 crore worth of free travel opportunities to women through Shakti Yojana, Grihalakshmi money to 1.24 crore women, Yuvanidhi assistance to over three lakh youth, food security to 4.08 crore citizens, and free electricity to 1.64 crore families.”
He reminded critics of his track record: “In my first term (2013–18), we fulfilled 157 out of 165 promises. In this term, more than 243 out of 593 promises have been fulfilled. We will fulfil each remaining one with commitment, credibility and care.”
Amid escalating tensions, Siddaramaiah convened a closed-door meeting with senior ministers H.K. Patil, Eshwar Khandre, Sharanabasappa Darshanapura, Krishna Byre Gowda, Priyank Kharge, Santosh Lad, Bose Raju and MLC M.R. Seetharam at his home office, Krishna. The huddle—held just before a cabinet meeting—fueled further speculation of factional alignments.
Recognising the widening cracks, AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge intervened, announcing that top Karnataka leaders would be summoned to Delhi. “Three or four Congress leaders including Siddaramaiah and D.K. Shivakumar will be called to Delhi for discussion. A solution will be found and everything will be settled,” Kharge said before leaving for the capital on Thursday.
He added that the high command’s decisions would be taken collectively: “The party high command is not one person but a team. Senior Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, will discuss the state’s issues in the presence of the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister.”
Reacting to Kharge’s remarks, both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar issued identical statements of compliance: “We will go to Delhi if the high command calls us.”
As Karnataka’s Congress government crosses the one-year mark, the simmering power struggle—long whispered about within party ranks—has now surfaced in the open. The leadership’s challenge is not only to bridge the growing divide but to prevent the rift from spilling further onto the streets, especially with Lok Sabha and local body elections ahead.
