- 3 minutes ago
A special report on the impending political transition in Karnataka reveals that the current Chief Minister is likely to step down, making way for the Deputy Chief Minister. According to sources, the Congress leadership has asked the incumbent to resign and transition to a national role via the Rajya Sabha.
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00:00Good evening, you're watching NewsTrack with me, Maria Shakeel.
00:03The Delhi Darbar has triggered a Karnataka power shift and the state is most likely heading for a reset.
00:10After much discussion and deliberation, the Congress leadership seems to have finalized Karnataka's future
00:16and that future may not be steered by Sidhara Mahia anymore.
00:21Sources say the Congress leadership has asked him to step down and take the Rajasabha route.
00:26So does the exit of Sidhara Mahia mean the entry of DK Shif Kumar or is there more to this
00:33Karnataka game of thrones?
00:35Before I bring in the reporters, first up, here's what happened today.
00:50Rahul Gandhi, Malik Arjun Kharge, Kesey Vedungopal, Sidhara Mahia.
00:56DK Shifukumar, what happened just they met?
01:00Dialogues and deliberations, but no conclusion.
01:04Hours of meetings and discussions, yet the Karnataka chief minister's suspense continues.
01:09For now, status quo is set to remain in the state.
01:12The Congress says the meeting was only to discuss the upcoming Rajasabha and Legislative Council posts.
01:18Today, the entire discussion is only concentrated on coming Rajasabha elections and council elections of Karnataka.
01:28Whatever speculation you people are doing, that is only speculation, no reality at all.
01:35The party has also asked everyone to stop speculating.
01:41Honorable General Secretary Organization, Shri Kesey Venu Gopalji, Sidhara Mahiaji, Honorable Chief Minister, Honorable Deputy Chief Minister, Shri DK Shifukumarji,
01:53they are all here, for heaven's sake, now stop your speculation.
01:58Yes, that they will do, don't worry about it.
02:03But can speculation ever stop?
02:06In Karnataka politics, speculation never really stops.
02:10Because behind the official line, the buzz around the leadership transition is only getting louder.
02:16Top Congress sources have told India Today that the party high command has asked Sidhara Mahia to step down and
02:22move to Delhi through the Rajasabha.
02:24Sources say he was promised a larger national role, along with assurances that all issues will be taken care of.
02:31India Today has also learned that Sidhara Mahia is open to stepping down, but remains unconvinced about the proposed Rajasabha
02:38role.
02:38Amid the uncertainty, the Karnataka chief minister also held meetings with close aides and ministers.
02:44He will most likely return to Bengaluru tonight.
02:47Will Sidhara Mahia finally step down?
02:49If yes, then when?
02:52Will DK Shifukumar finally get his turn after years of waiting in the wings?
02:57Will his CM dream come true?
03:00Or will the Congress once again choose delay over decision?
03:04With Nagarjun Dwarkanath, Sagai Raj and Mausumi Singh, Bureau Report, India Today.
03:16And some more piece of breaking news coming in now.
03:19And the sources are telling India Today that Chief Minister Sidhara Mahia could tender his resignation by Thursday itself.
03:27So that resignation could come in within the next 48 hours is what sources are telling India Today.
03:32And that Karnataka Chief Minister Sidhara Mahia is likely to hold a press conference in Bengaluru tomorrow.
03:38So what will he be communicating?
03:40And will there be the legislature party meeting?
03:43Which also means that observers have to be sent from Delhi.
03:47So the Congress party has to send its observers when the legislature party meeting happens.
03:51Will the resignation happen after the press conference itself?
03:55What will be the modalities over the next 48 hours?
03:58Will be interesting to see.
04:00Sagai is joining us live.
04:02Sagai, so that resignation could come as early as Thursday is what sources are telling you?
04:09So, I have confirmed that Chief Minister Sidhara Mahia will tender his resignation on Thursday.
04:14And he will address a press conference tomorrow.
04:18There are a couple of events which is scheduled tomorrow where Sidhara Mahia will participate.
04:22And subsequently, he will address the media tomorrow.
04:26And the day after tomorrow, he is going to tender his resignation.
04:30But Sagai, what is it that Mr. Sidhara Mahia has agreed upon?
04:35Because what we are also being told by the way of sources is that there is a Rajya Sabha birth,
04:40that he gets to decide who will be the next Karnataka state chief,
04:45also a possible cabinet birth for his son,
04:48and a bigger role in the capital.
04:52The question is, what is this big role that has been proposed by the Congress leadership to Mr. Sidhara Mahia?
04:59There are multiple offers which have been given to Sidhara Mahia.
05:02They want a smooth transition and they want to keep Sidhara Mahia in good books
05:05because he is a champion of a backward class community in the state of Karnataka.
05:10And the message was conveyed to him clearly stating that you need to work it
05:15and you should play a bigger role at national level.
05:18You need to ensure that he should be a part of the 2029 campaign for the Congress
05:23and he should galvanize the vote for Congress of the backward class community.
05:29And as you rightly pointed out, yes, the multiple offers,
05:31including that his camp people should get a few cabinet births
05:35and his camp loyalists should be made as a KPCC president.
05:40So, still the agreement between High Command and Sidhara Mahia has not been disclosed.
05:50However, there are negotiations which are still happening between them
05:53and he was been asked to tender his resignation
05:56and now he has taken a decision and he will be tendering his resignation on Thursday
06:00and all the other negotiations will probably happen after that.
06:05So, it remains to be seen how the Congress party really pivots this entire shift
06:11in the leadership sagay, given that the state goes to polls in 2028.
06:17It's an important election in Karnataka, but that will be fought now
06:23under the leadership of D.K. Shivkumar.
06:26What will be the role of Sidhara Mahia in that?
06:31Still, Sidhara Mahia is one of the tallest leaders in Karnataka.
06:34Undoubtedly.
06:34And if you have noticed the statements of D.K. Shivkumar in the past,
06:38he has said that Sidhara Mahia should be part of the Karnataka government
06:44if Congress has to come back to power and this is the right time for Sidhara Mahia to pay back.
06:49And if you notice that ever since Sidhara Mahia joined from Jairus to Congress,
06:53he has always been in power.
06:55He has never been actually a party worker.
06:58He was an opposition party leader.
06:59He was a chief minister.
07:01Thereafter, he was a coordination committee chairman and again a chief minister.
07:04So, he was in power.
07:07So, probably now it is a payback time for him to help Congress,
07:11to bring back Congress to power in Karnataka as well as work at national level
07:15to galvanize the OBC oath for Congress party.
07:19All right, Saga. I really appreciate your time.
07:21Joining me now on the show is Surabhi, who is the spokesperson of the Karnataka BJP,
07:26Sandeep Shastri, election analyst and vice president of NITTE University,
07:31and Rashid Kidwai, author and political analyst, someone who tracks Congress party very, very closely.
07:36Rashid, so the Congress finally deciding to bite the bullet
07:39and also sending a message that when Rahul Gandhi gives his words,
07:43they also believe in keeping that.
07:46Yes, Maria.
07:47Maria, this is the new Rahul Gandhi, we are Sikh.
07:50He ditched the DMK, joined hand with the TVK, Captain Vijay.
07:56Then he chose a chief minister, much against all the kind of pressure that was going on.
08:01He chose Viti Satishan and obviously Venu Gopal.
08:05And he's just trying to bring some kind of generational change.
08:10Remember, there was a rotational chief minister.
08:12Bambula was there way back in May 2023.
08:17And that lapsed, you know, in November.
08:21In November also, Maria, you may recall, there were a lot of despite leaders has come to Delhi.
08:26At that time, Mr. Siddhar Ramaiya had sought time till completion of Keralam assembly election.
08:33And Rahul Gandhi had granted him six most time.
08:36So now that time has elapsed.
08:39And this time, when they met one-on-one, then Rahul Gandhi pointedly told him that, you know,
08:45now you have to make way for a younger leadership and that being DK Shukumar.
08:49So it's been a very smooth transition.
08:52Whether Mr. Siddhar Ramaiya's son will come in the cabinet or not, state cabinet, it remains to be seen.
08:57But I think, you know, Rahul Gandhi was biggest backer of Siddhar Ramaiya and long as he was chief minister.
09:04And now the majority of MLAs want someone useful, someone who can lead them to victory in 2028.
09:11And more importantly, looks to violation of 2029, where Rahul wants to get 20 or more seats from the state.
09:18I think that's an important point that you've made.
09:20This has to do with generational change, Sandeep Shastri.
09:24Because first with V.D. Satishan in the state of Kerala, then the Congress, without informing DMK,
09:33and that has left DMK fuming, they decided to part ways with one of their oldest partners, you know, ally
09:41with TVK.
09:42They are part of the new cabinet of actor Vijay.
09:48And here is another decision which has been taken.
09:52Long, it was believed, Sandeep Shastri, that Rahul Gandhi was backing Siddhar Ramaiya.
09:57But I think this is also about sending a message that, yes, Mr. D.K. Shiv Kumar has been rather
10:03patiently waiting for the promise that was made two and a half years ago.
10:10Maria, all the three developments you have just now spoken about are a crucial test for the Congress High Command.
10:19Be it the appointment of Satishan, be it joining the, supporting the Tamil Nadu government, and now the whole talk
10:29of a transition in Karnataka.
10:31Now, will it be a smooth transition?
10:34On the surface, it looks to be a smooth transition.
10:38But one does not know what is happening below the surface because it's not easy for a leader and his
10:48supporters to give up power in favor of somebody else.
10:52This tussle has been going on for quite some time now.
10:57And a lot of people would believe that it has been delayed much more than it should have been.
11:04If you remember, Maria, in earlier programs I have mentioned, it is not a question of if there would be
11:09a change, but when there would be a change.
11:12And a lot of people have been saying that the more you delayed the process, the more problematic it would
11:19become for a smooth transition.
11:22And more importantly, as a citizen of Karnataka, the need for a stable government which focuses on governance and not
11:31so much on transfer of power.
11:33Because a lot of debate in the last few weeks in Karnataka has been on, will there or will not
11:39there be a change?
11:41And in the corridors of power, the talk has not been about governance, but the talk has been about who
11:47will be leading the government.
11:49So I think if this issue were to be settled soon, there is a hope or there is a chance
11:56or there is a possibility that there is a little more focus on governance,
12:00which is required because you have just a little over two years left for the election to happen in the
12:08state.
12:08And that's where the BJP comes into picture.
12:11Surabhi, come in now.
12:12D.K. Shiv Kumar, 64-year-old versus what appears at the moment, the Karnataka BJP chief, B.Y. Vijendra,
12:24who is 50-year-old.
12:26So on one hand is generational shift, which has been ushered in by the BJP, of course, several years ago,
12:32versus now that the Congress is going for it.
12:34The age gap may be still much, but it appears that the Congress has decided that there would be a
12:42new caste combination that the Congress party will be looking at.
12:46With D.K. Shiv Kumar at the helm of affairs.
12:51And yeah, first and foremost, I think, you know, this saga that's been going on for three years has been
12:56the predominant headlines here in Karnataka.
12:58And even today, we're looking at whether it's going to happen or not.
13:01That's still the big question.
13:02There's an RCV match happening today.
13:04People are more interested in who's going to be chief minister than the match, which goes to show just how
13:09much attention has been paid to this one issue.
13:12And attention, rightfully so, because MLAs within their own party have been asking for this transition for a long time
13:18now and creating a lot of havoc and questions and a lot of delay in administration and governance, as Sandeep
13:24Shastisar rightly pointed out.
13:26So I think that any discussion on, you know, what 2020 would look like or not, the fact of the
13:33matter is that whether it was CM Sidramaya or DCM to be CM, if we assume the rumors or the
13:40sources to be true, D.K. Shiv Kumar in power.
13:42The Congress has shown what it's capable of the last two and a half years.
13:45Let me talk just about D.K. Shiv Kumar, who has been Bangalore in charge of minister.
13:49What achievement does he have to show?
13:52What achievement do you think he'll have to show as chief minister when you're as a DCM and Bangalore in
13:57charge?
13:57Garbage is piled up a lot more in Bangalore than it ever has in its history.
14:01What achievement are you going to show when you're batting for a tunnel road that the entire city is against?
14:05So really, it is not just, everything does not come merely down to identity and combination, so on and so
14:11forth, but also performance.
14:13What performance are you going to show after two and a half years or two years if you're going to
14:16take on the mantle now?
14:18But this is not anything that we are concerned about.
14:20What we are concerned about is highlighting the fact that for the last three years, the government has been working
14:25on a standstill.
14:26The majority conversation...
14:28Surabhi, we do not have a Congress spokesperson on this show because the Congress party decided not to participate in
14:33the debates today.
14:34Because, of course, there is a churn which is happening, so certainly they do not want to go on record.
14:40But, you know, I wish they were part of it so they could respond to all the charge that you're
14:44levelling.
14:45But politically speaking, Surabhi, how is the BJP watching this entire transition?
14:50No, I think, look...
14:52Go ahead, Surabhi.
14:53Yeah, look, we've known that there's been a churn.
14:58Everybody in Karnataka has known that there's a churn.
15:00I've mentioned prior as well, in my own home, I kept getting asked that question,
15:04DKCM, Yawa Gaktare, DKCM, Yawa Gaktare, because I, you know, I work with people who are from the OMR region.
15:11So it's been a predominant conversation in everybody's home, and therefore the political party that we are,
15:17we are aware of what's going on. But I don't think that we are looking at this as,
15:22this has been stated multiple times by many of our senior leaders,
15:25that when the government's performance is incredibly bad,
15:29it's not something that a change in leadership can unfortunately fix.
15:33Whatever caste combination, I can talk here as a political analyst,
15:36whatever caste combination you finally bring it down to, whatever...
15:40The achievement of the government, the day-to-day working of the government is what hits the people.
15:46And in this case, the Congress government has been an abysmal zero,
15:49and it has also got into people's head that the Congress government has not been doing well.
15:55So a leadership transition is merely who we attack in the 2028 election.
15:59So let's look at the leadership transition, which almost seems imminent now, Rashid.
16:05Rashid, here is Sidhar Amaiya, who is seen as a tall OBC leader,
16:11and a pan-Karnataka mass leader.
16:15Do you think that D.K. Shivkumar will have to fill in these huge shoes,
16:20and that certainly will be very, very difficult for him?
16:23Yes, he has been part of Karnataka politics for years.
16:26He has been patiently waiting.
16:29He's a man of resources, has delivered for the Congress leadership.
16:32But mass popularity is a different game altogether.
16:37So, Maria, you're right, there's always challenges.
16:40But whenever the transition happens,
16:42you see, Mr. Sidhar Amaiya is about, you know, during 80 years of age.
16:46He would be at, you know, 28, he'll be older.
16:49You know, at 2029, when Lok Sabha election is there, he'll be older.
16:54So, therefore, there was a need to have this kind of international change.
16:59We know Mr. D.K. Shivkumar.
17:01He's known for his operational abilities.
17:03He's known to be a very, you know, determined person, a big fighter.
17:06You may recall that famous election, Rajasthan election of Ayman Patel.
17:11Yes.
17:11And how, Mr., you know, and just several crises,
17:14whether it was in Maharashtra or in Rajasthan,
17:18Mr., you know, D.K. Shivkumar has been a go-to person.
17:21So, I think, you know, he has a lot of ideas
17:23and he's a very resourceful person also.
17:26And he's a self-made person.
17:27So, I think there'll not be seen as far as D.K. Shukhwar is concerned.
17:32And the party will always, the BJP may be running down and saying,
17:35you know, three years are very bad.
17:37But whenever, you know, Maria, you would also know from your experience
17:40as a political journalist,
17:42whenever there is a change of guard in any state,
17:44it leads to new situations.
17:46And it poses a challenge to the rival.
17:48You tell me, Rashid, the challenge will also be to ensure
17:53that there'll be no camps within Karnataka Congress,
17:57that they have to function like a unit.
18:00Sidharamaya brings that experience,
18:02he brings that crucial caste politics,
18:06or should I say that caste vote,
18:08to this entire Congress, Kitty.
18:10So, while they work as a team,
18:14because, you know, one leader is good for troubleshooting,
18:18organization, the other one gets the vote.
18:21Can they work together as a team now,
18:23if D.K. Shukhwar becomes the chief minister?
18:28I think this is very imperative,
18:30but we must also remember that national parties,
18:32whether it is the BJP or Congress,
18:34people tend to vote for that political party.
18:37And of course, individuals matter.
18:38Let me give you an example of Pajab,
18:40which Captain Amrindar Singh was chief minister,
18:42and there was a move to remove him.
18:44Not one, not one, you know,
18:47Maria, MLA,
18:49with Mr. Captain Amrindar Singh,
18:51was a prowess figure.
18:52A very senior leader.
18:53So, this is just to illustrate that the primary loyalty of MLA
18:56is the political party.
18:58Yes.
18:59And the same applies to BJP also.
19:01Yes.
19:01So, as long as that remains intact,
19:03I think the social groupings are talking about,
19:06essentially, people vote for the Congress and its ideology,
19:10the guarantee schemes that were promised.
19:11And of course, Mr. Siddharth Amaiya was the face of it,
19:14but now D.K. Shukhwar will become a face of it.
19:17Okay.
19:18Okay.
19:18Sandeep Shastri, weigh in on this combination.
19:21Will it be a combination or will they be working at cross-purposes?
19:27Maria, the combination worked very well during the election campaign.
19:32The organizational detailing by Shiv Kumar
19:35and the administrative and leadership acumen of Sidramayev
19:40combined very well for the type of victory they were able to achieve.
19:44But subsequent to that, when it came to occupying the chair
19:49and becoming chief minister, the challenges began.
19:54And that challenge has been seen right from day one
19:58because a lot of people thought Sidramayev was always looking behind his shoulder
20:04because somebody else was trying to also be on that seat two and a half years later.
20:09So, yes, there was an impact on governance.
20:13Yes, there was an impact on delivery of services.
20:17It could have been much better than what it was.
20:20And now with this transition, it will be interesting to see
20:24what role Sidramayev will play.
20:27There has been talk about his moving to the center.
20:30I'm not too sure whether he would be keen on that
20:33because he has been on record saying
20:36that I do not want to move out of Karnataka.
20:40Even in the past, he has made this point.
20:42So, how does the machinery of the government
20:46and the organizational apparatus of the party work?
20:53I think it will be something which will have to be seen.
20:55And if they are to prevent the hiccups of the last two and a half years
21:02and have some hope for fighting the 2008 elections on a strong footing,
21:09I think it would be important that the focus be on governance
21:13and leadership tussles take a backspace.
21:16Sandeep Shastri, help us understand in terms of the numerical identity numbers.
21:22You know, Vokalika, here is D.K. Shiv Kumar, who comes from the Vokalika community.
21:28Sidramaya hails from the Karuba Gauda community, which is an OBC.
21:34Does that, in this choice, does the Congress face some kind of challenge?
21:42Now, if you look at the social coalition which the BJP and the Congress have built up,
21:48they have very distinct zones of influence, the type of rainbow coalitions,
21:54both the parties have created.
21:57I would make a distinction, Maria, between the social coalition that a party holds together
22:03and the leadership which is there.
22:05For me, leadership has in some ways got a symbolic social coalition representation.
22:13To say that if a person from a particular social group becomes the chief minister,
22:19it is that group which then controls, dominates, or is the one which defines and decides decision,
22:27I think would not be the right approach.
22:29Now, if Shiv Kumar were to become, I am sure there will be deputy chief ministers from various social groups.
22:37They are likely to be a KPCC president from a backward community, maybe even a schedule caste community.
22:45So, that game of managing social coalitions is something which both the BJP and the Congress
22:52have very adeptly done in the past.
22:55And I see no reason why that would not happen again.
22:59Okay.
22:59Surabhi, I have 30 seconds for you and then I will give the last word to Rashid Kidwai.
23:02Go ahead.
23:03No, no, you must give me more than 30 seconds because I am going to take off my political
23:06spokesperson hat for a minute.
23:08I heard Rashid Kidwai, sir, very humbly, sir, from political theory to political reality.
23:13While D.K. Shiv Kumar might be seen as a strategist within the Congress party and the Congress
23:19cadre, the people in Karnataka, especially in Bangalore OMR region, see him very differently.
23:23Just recently, he was seen giving damki to an apartments association for merely asking about
23:28grievance.
23:29So, D.K. Shiv Kumar as KPCC chairperson, problem solver versus D.K. Shiv Kumar as an administrator
23:34are two different things.
23:36Second point, I just want to tell you, Sidramaya, as much as we talk about him as the Bharatiya
23:40Janta party, he is a mass leader.
23:42He is somebody who switched from parties, been able to, you know, hold power for such a long
23:46period of time.
23:47What D.K. Shiv Kumar brings to the table is a lot of, you know, wealth, assets, as well
23:52as organizational experiences.
23:53Unfortunately, money does not make a mass leader and Karnataka has always gone in favor
23:58of a mass leader.
23:59So, having said that, I also believe, I agree with Sandeep Shastri, sir, to some extent
24:03that, look, Sidramaya's role, Sidramaya's role is going to really determine what happens
24:09in Karnataka.
24:09Okay, quickly.
24:10Rashid.
24:11A wounded, a wounded tiger is a more dangerous one.
24:14Whether the, you know, perhaps this tiger has accepted generational shift.
24:19Let's look at it this way.
24:21Just as other parties, here also it appears to be pretty smooth.
24:25After multiple hiccups, the Congress leadership has decided, has been communicated and Sidramaya
24:30has accepted that D.K. Shiv Kumar is his successor.
24:33Rashid, 30 seconds.
24:36Yeah.
24:36So, Maria, Sidramaya came from outside Congress.
24:40He was in Jantadal and he was adopted and he was given, you know, a post of Chief Minister
24:45and he got more than, as I said, more than six months what was given to him, what was assured
24:50to him.
24:51So, therefore, I think he has a sense of gratitude.
24:53The choice is his, whether he wants to go become another Amrindar Singh or, you know,
24:57live life with dignity and with sense of loyalty and bring his son as a State Minister.
25:02Fine enough.
25:03All right.
25:04Rashid Kidwai, Sandeep Shastri and Surubh, really appreciate your time.
25:08Thank you so much.
25:09Of course, over the next 48 hours, all the action will be playing out both in Delhi and
25:15also in Bengaluru, Bengaluru, where the Chief Minister will be holding a press conference
25:21and thereafter, a day after, perhaps on Thursday, he'll be going to tender his resignation.
25:26That's what the indications are at the moment.
25:29And Delhi here, where the incoming Chief Minister is holding all the meetings, D.K.
25:34Shif Kumar is very much in Delhi holding meetings with his apes.
25:38That's all from me.
25:39Thanks so much for watching.
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