A ‘dark horse’ may become Karnataka’s next CM: BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai

HAVERI: Former Karnataka Chief Minister and BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai on Friday spoke on the possibility of a “dark horse” emerging in Karnataka politics amid a power struggle between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar.

He stated that the Chief Minister and Deputy CM are being inflexible due to their ego, leading the high command to consider alternative options.

“CM and Deputy CM both are in a very egoistic attitude. They are not ready to budge an inch. Therefore, the high command is compelled to think of the other alternative. So in this context, a dark horse might emerge in the state,” Bommai said.

Bommai’s remarks suggested that the BJP is exploring different scenarios amid the power struggle between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar. The power struggle reportedly began when the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20. Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have been exchanging cryptic posts on social media, with Siddaramaiah emphasising that “a word is not power unless it betters the world” and Shivakumar stating that “word power is world power.”

#WATCH | Haveri: Former Karnataka CM and BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai says, “…CM and Deputy CM both are in a very egoistic attitude. They are not ready to budge an inch. Therefore, the high command is compelled to think of the other alternative. So in this context, a dark horse… pic.twitter.com/9r9LERpMst

— ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2025

Siddaramaiah, the current CM, insists he’ll complete his five-year term, citing the mandate given by the people of Karnataka. He’s emphasised his commitment to fulfilling the party’s promises, including the five guarantee schemes. Shivakumar, on the other hand, is pushing for a leadership change, citing a “secret agreement” among senior leaders that he should take over as CM after 2.5 years.

The high command, led by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, is expected to make a decision soon. Both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have expressed willingness to abide by the party’s decision.

The tussle, fueled by the 2023 “power-sharing agreement” between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, has pushed each side’s loyalists to lobby for their leaders’ claims to the state’s top post.

Meanwhile, earlier today, the Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took a dig at the Congress party amid the power struggle between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar.

The BJP claims that the power-sharing agreement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar has led to the current tussle, and that if the condition hadn’t been imposed, there wouldn’t have been any talk of a power transfer. (ANI)