Source TOI
BENGALURU: The simmering power struggle within the Karnataka Congress has boiled over into a public ‘word’ war on social media, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah taking open potshots at his deputy, D.K. Shivakumar (DKS), over the alleged ‘secret deal’ for a rotational Chief Minister post.
The escalating acrimony began with Deputy CM Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress President, posting a cryptic message on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, appearing to remind the CM and the party high command of a promised leadership transition.
The Cryptic Exchange
Shivakumar’s initial post, which is widely interpreted as a demand for the top post halfway through the government’s term, read:
“WORD POWER IS WORLD POWER. The biggest force in the world is to keep one’s word. Be it a judge, president or anyone else including myself, everyone has to walk the talk. Word power is world power.”
Hours later, CM Siddaramaiah hit back, cleverly using the same vocabulary to reposition the argument from a personal commitment to the mandate given by the people of Karnataka:
“A Word is not power unless it betters the World for the people. The mandate given by the people of Karnataka is not a moment, but a responsibility that lasts five full years.”
He further stressed the focus of his administration:
“The Congress party, including me, is walking the talk for our people with compassion, consistency, and courage. Our Word to Karnataka is not a slogan, it means the World to us.”
The Rotational CM Rift
The public exchange comes amid heightened speculation over a leadership change, fuelled by the approaching midpoint of the Congress government’s five-year term. DKS supporters maintain that a confidential pact was reached shortly after the party’s sweeping 2023 Assembly election victory, promising Shivakumar the CM chair after the initial period.
However, Siddaramaiah has consistently maintained that he will complete the full five-year term. His response on Thursday marked a definitive shift, moving the spat from internal camps to an open confrontation between the two top leaders themselves.
The episode signals a critical juncture in the power-sharing arrangement, leaving the final resolution in the hands of the Congress high command, which has yet to publicly clarify the terms of the initial agreement.
