‘If condition hadn’t been imposed, talks of power transfer wouldn’t have even arisen’: BJP Karnataka takes dig at Congress on CM post tussle

BENGALURU: The Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday 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.

In a post on X, the BJP shared an image of Siddaramaiah seated in the Chief Minister’s chair, with Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah’s son, Yathindra, standing beside him. As per BJP, Yathindra is seen as Siddaramaiah’s potential successor.

“Chief Minister @siddaramaiah’s term has come to an end. The Congress high command had made Siddaramaiah the CM by imposing a condition of two and a half years in power. That’s why now Deputy CM @DKShivakumar has started staking his claim for power. If the condition hadn’t been imposed, talks of power transfer wouldn’t have even arisen,” the ‘X’ post said.

The BJP’s post also referred to Yathindra as a “super CM,” suggesting that Siddaramaiah cannot avoid stepping down merely to maintain his son’s influence. It further implied that Yathindra’s prominence stems from his father’s position rather than public support.

“Siddaramaiah stepping down from the chair cannot be prevented for his son, super CM Yathindra. It’s natural for those wielding power in the shadow of their father without public support or experience to feel disappointed,” the post added.

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.”

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.

The BJP has accused the Congress of being focused on power struggles rather than governance, with Karnataka BJP President BY Vijayendra stating that the internal bickering within the Congress is paralysing the administration. The Congress, however, maintains that it is united and focused on the 2028 assembly and 2029 Lok Sabha elections. (ANI)