Karnataka Crisis: BJP Weighs No-Confidence Motion As Siddaramaiah-DK Shivakumar Rift Widens

3 hours ago

In this Special Report, India Today’s Akshita Nandagopal and Senior Editor Nagarjun Dwarakanath discuss the deepening crisis in the Karnataka Congress. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is reportedly considering a no-confidence motion against the Siddaramaiah government during the winter assembly session in Belagavi starting December 8. Nagarjun Dwarakanath highlights the visible discord, stating, 'Yesterday they were cold in front of each other. D.K. Shivakumar didn't speak to CM.' The report explores the potential power-sharing dispute and the High Command's challenge.

Transcript

00:00There's been a lot of talk that the BJP could go ahead and move a no-confidence motion

00:04against the Sidramaya government if this drama continues.

00:08Today there's going to be a BJP JDS meeting that will happen in Bengaluru.

00:12They're going to be figuring out exactly what their strategy is

00:15for the upcoming assembly session that kicks off from December 8th.

00:19In this meeting is when the final decision will be taken

00:22about that no-confidence motion in the assembly,

00:25whether they're going to go ahead with it or not.

00:27This is what the Congress doesn't want right now.

00:30The messaging is that, look, governance has taken a back seat

00:34and that's the big news break that's coming in on the BJP JDS meeting

00:38that is taking place today in Bengaluru to decide exactly what the agenda is going to be

00:43for the assembly session.

00:45If this impasse continues within the Congress,

00:49then that will be the only single track focus of the BJP in the upcoming assembly session.

00:56Now, the High Command, we're being told, has set off a deadline of December 1st.

01:00December 8th is the assembly session.

01:02If that drags on, if this tussle that we're seeing between Sidramaya and D.K. Shokumar drags on,

01:07then come December 8th, the only issue that will be discussed in the Belagavi assembly session

01:12is going to be what's happening between Sidramaya and D.K. Shokumar.

01:17So, we're going to continue talking about that.

01:19I'll bring in Anagar Keshav also.

01:21Nagarjun is with me for more on that.

01:23Nagar, more than anything else, the Congress High Command will be fearful of exactly this,

01:28the backlash from the people, the narrative, that governance, nothing is being done.

01:32That's absolutely true.

01:33In the last seven days, you have seen limited number of official meetings happening.

01:37There are happening, but very limited official meetings happening.

01:41Yesterday was one such event where D.K. Shokumar and Sidramaya both shared an event.

01:45They didn't exchange words on stage.

01:47Usually, they talk to each other when they sit next to each other,

01:50but yesterday was, they were cold in front of each other, right?

01:52D.K. Shokumar didn't speak to CM and CM, didn't speak to the Deputy Chief Minister.

01:57That clearly shows, if you read between the lines, the coldness between them,

02:00how they are not okay with each other's presence on stage.

02:04And usually, you also have seen already BGP taking jibes at the government,

02:09saying that the administration has taken a hit, governance has taken a hit in Karnataka.

02:14Chief Minister himself agrees that, yes, the governance has taken a hit.

02:18Embarrassment, there's a lot of embarrassment to the party as well as the government,

02:22because each time when you go to, the MLA steps out, people are asking,

02:26sir, what is happening? Who is going to be changed?

02:29Will you, and ministers when they step out, people are asking,

02:32will you still be the minister in the next cabinet or not?

02:34So, there is backlash from people, there's backlash from the media as well,

02:39because from the media, the high command is not taking the call or the final decision.

02:43And from the people, they are saying, we are unable to get our work done,

02:47because the MLA's are busy going to Delhi, the MLA's are busy coming to Bangalore,

02:51the MLA's are busy meeting D.K., the MLA's are busy meeting Siddharamaya.

02:55Then when does the governance take place? It's not happening.

02:57And remember, in one week from now, we will have the winter assembly session happening in Belgium for 15 days.

03:04So, it's two weeks that winter session, and in the session, you need to discuss bills,

03:09you need to discuss the progress, you need to give notices, all that would happen.

03:13And it's a free time for BJP to attack the government for the last 15 days, what has transpired.

03:19If you put on any news channel, if you read any newspaper in Karnataka today, it's about this.

03:25It's not about governance. Remember, just one day ago, we heard the crop loss demuneration being given out

03:32by the state government, by the SDRF fund from the CM office.

03:36Yeah.

03:36That was not highlighted. In fact, in that meeting, what we were told, even before the meeting started,

03:42the CM was in a huddle with key ministers.

03:44So, the governance has taken a back step. Politics has come to the forefront today.

03:49And both of them today have no government meetings, and they are not stepping out for inaugurating any event.

03:54They are not stepping out for any of the events related to the government.

03:59Breakfast meet, and that's it. And the whole day is reserved for their personal meetings.

04:04And most likely, DK Shubh Kumar, post the meeting, might fly to Delhi, is what we are told.

04:08But that's a big if. He had booked his tickets last evening, cancelled it because he got a call from the high command.

04:14So, that explains it. Because there were a lot of questions. DK Shubh Kumar was headed to Delhi.

04:18What happened on that?

04:19He had packed his bags. He was ready to fly.

04:22Fire clock is the time when KC Venugopal called him and said,

04:25you need to sit across the table and discuss with the chief minister.

04:28And then immediately the tickets were called off, cancelled off.

04:30And then they wanted to go early in the morning.

04:33But when the breakfast meeting was set up, the time was set up,

04:36then he said, okay, let me take a final call post the meeting.

04:39Because he also doesn't know what would transpire in this meeting.

04:42So, DK Shubh Kumar, post the meeting, say, around 11 o'clock.

04:45My assumption is, if they sit across the table at 9.30,

04:49they would have breakfast easily for, say, 1, 1.5 or 90 minutes.

04:53Because post the Idli Samba, they want to sit for a coffee also.

04:56The nice filter coffee that both of them would sip.

04:58And there's a private room. I know the chief minister's residence.

05:01There's a separate kitchen where there's a dining hall.

05:04So, these two will sit there.

05:05And for the coffee, they would get up and come back to a private room.

05:09So, it'll be completely one-on-one?

05:10It'll be completely one-on-one.

05:12Because in the coffee, even the waiters will not be there.

05:14The people who are serving, the house staff, will not have access.

05:17So, they can completely be confidential in person and speak what is happening.

05:22And speak their heart out in that room.

05:24I think DK Shubh Kumar will request the chief minister saying,

05:27Sir, please, without your cooperation, I will not make this through.

05:31I will ensure that all your camp members will be taken into consideration.

05:35I will give them prime portfolios.

05:36I will ensure that I will be a leader for them also.

05:40Trust me, sir.

05:41Give me this chance.

05:42I will not disappoint you is what DK Shubh Kumar, knowing him, would say.

05:45He will not put up a fight.

05:46He would be requesting the chief minister is what I'm told.

05:49Okay.

05:50So, if that happens, it'll be very, very interesting.

05:53There's a lot of movement here.

05:54And the reason for that is because this is considered to be the VIP corridor of Bengaluru.

05:59This is where you have all of the residences of the who's who, as far as politicians go, at least.

06:04Which is why you'll always see constant movement, constant security checks, patrolling happening here.

06:10But let's focus.

06:11And as Naga said, you know, maybe DK Shubh Kumar will put forth a request.

06:15But let's tell you right now about exactly what happened a few years ago that set the stage for this very moment.

06:22Back in 2023, right after the mandate for the Congress in Karnataka, there was a big question mark over who will be the chief minister.

06:30That's exactly what we're seeing now.

06:32DK Shubh Kumar, Sidra Maya were doing everything they had to, to kind of push the narrative in their favor.

06:38Their action shifted from Bengaluru to Delhi.

06:40Ultimately, it was Sidra Maya who was chosen, named as the chief minister.

06:45But, but there was a clear, clear agreement.

06:49DK Shubh Kumar, his camp maintained that he would be the chief minister in two and a half years.

06:54What was that agreement about?

06:57Who made this decision?

06:58Who gave their word to DK Shubh Kumar?

07:00Let's go back in time to 2023 and decode that.

07:08A landslide victory in May 2023.

07:16The Congress storming back to power in Karnataka.

07:19But the seeds of today's crisis were sown on day one.

07:25Even before the celebration settled, the succession battle began.

07:30Sidra Maya versus DK Shubh Kumar.

07:35A straight contest for the chief minister's chair.

07:37One, a mass OBC veteran.

07:42The other, a rising Boca Liga powerhouse who rebuilt the party's organization.

07:49Both wanting the top job.

07:52Both had caste blocks, MLAs and political muscle behind them.

07:56There's a clear, clear divide in the Congress high command on who should be the next chief minister of Karnataka.

08:02And that's making this decision all the more difficult to make.

08:06By high command, who are we talking about?

08:07Well, if you look at the likes of Rahul Gandhi as well as KC Venugopal, the both of them are reportedly backing Sidra Maya.

08:15They're saying Sidra Maya very clearly is a mass leader.

08:17He should be made the chief minister.

08:19What about Malik Arjun Karge, the Congress chief who's holding these back-to-back meetings?

08:23Well, what we're hearing from our sources is that he's not too keen on Sidra Maya as chief minister.

08:28But not that he's completely backing DK Shubh Kumar as well.

08:31So largely, Karge's role seems to be that of a neutral Congress president who wants to take a call on what benefits the state of Karnataka.

08:39Majority MLAs are also backing Sidra Maya and that's a very, very big factor in favour of Sidra Maya right now.

08:47But what goes in favour of DK Shubh Kumar is the fact that Sonia Gandhi is considered to have a very close equation with DK Shubh Kumar.

08:54Shubh Kumar has spoken about that time and again, saying I was made the Congress chief by Sonia Gandhi to deliver the state of Karnataka.

09:01I've delivered.

09:03And in those early days, the caste calculus just sharpened the race.

09:08Daahindas, minorities, backward losses and Dalits rallied behind Sidra Maya.

09:15Vokaligas went all out for Shubh Kumar.

09:20Most newly elected Congress MLAs are said to have backed Sidra Maya in a secret ballot.

09:26Sources whispering 60% for him, 40% for DK Shubh Kumar.

09:31Only never officially confirmed.

09:34Sidra Maya's ban Karnataka appeal and his hold over minorities, backward classes and Dalits worked in his favour.

09:44But the Vokaliga push for DK Shubh Kumar was equally fierce.

09:48The community insisting their leader must finally become chief minister.

09:53That's when the High Command stepped in.

09:57MLA's authorised party chief Malik Arjun Karge to pick the chief minister.

10:02What followed was a hard bargain.

10:05Followed by whispers of a 2.5 year rotation, DK Shubh Kumar reportedly asked for the first 2.5 years.

10:13Sidra Maya, citing seniority, refused.

10:15He decided to make Sidra Maya as the chief minister of Karnataka.

10:25The compromise.

10:27Sidra Maya leads the first half.

10:30DK Shubh Kumar takes over in the second.

10:33Though never confirmed, it planted the expectation.

10:37A consensus has been reached.

10:39You can see Sidra Maya and DK Shubh Kumar standing side by side, making their way inside Karge's residence right now.

10:47The images speak volumes of what the Congress High Command has managed to achieve right now.

10:52These are the latest pictures.

10:54They're going to be meeting with Congress Chief Malik Arjun Karge.

10:57They came in the same car from KC Venugopal's residence.

11:00And that is a clear indicator, a clear message that they're sending across, that all is well.

11:06Both of them right now are happy.

11:09According to sources in the DK Shubh Kumar camp, the power-sharing formula was sealed on May 18, 2023,

11:17after long, high-stakes negotiations involving Sidra Maya, DK Shubh Kumar,

11:23Party Chief Malik Arjun Karge, KC Venugopal, Randeep Surjewala and DK Suresh.

11:31Cut to 2025.

11:34Two and a half years later, Karnataka Congress is in turmoil.

11:38Both leaders publicly deny a revolt.

11:41Both say High Command will decide.

11:44But the High Command stays silent.

11:46And the Game of Thrones is unmistakable.

11:52A victory that once united the Congress is now reopening old fault lines.

11:58All eyes remain on Delhi, where the final script of Karnataka's power play will be written.

12:05With Akshita Nand Gopal, Bureau Report, India Today.

Karnataka Crisis: BJP Weighs No-Confidence Motion As Siddaramaiah-DK Shivakumar Rift Widens

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