Deputy CM DK Shivakumar confirms the existence of a “secret deal” regarding the Karnataka Congress power-sharing pact. As the government hits the halfway mark, all eyes are on the High Command to resolve the Siddaramaiah-DKS rivalry.
Karnataka Congress Power Sharing Pact Siddaramaiah DKS
The political undercurrents in Karnataka have officially erupted into a public display of tension, centered on the fate of the Chief Minister’s post. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar (DKS), who is also the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President, has intensified the leadership debate by openly confirming the existence of a high-level, “secret deal” concerning the power-sharing pact within the Congress party. This revelation comes just after the Congress government crossed the 2.5-year mark—the speculated halfway point for a power rotation formula between DKS and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Speaking to reporters in his home constituency of Kanakapura, Shivakumar chose his words carefully, avoiding direct confrontation while indirectly applying immense pressure on the Congress High Command. He stated that the issue of CM change was “a deal which took place among five or six leaders” and emphatically added, “It is a secret affair (of the party) and I would not like to discuss it in public.” This guarded yet definitive statement validated the persistent claims of a deal struck in May 2023, where DKS allegedly conceded the top post for the first half of the term based on a promise of rotation.
