The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided to fish in muddied waters by extending an offer of outside support to Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar for the Chief Minister’s post. Former Chief Minister DV Sadananda Gowda has indicated that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is open to extending outside support, should he seek to lead the government.
“If DK Shivakumar comes and gives us outside support, we will accept it. But Union leaders should decide if DK Shivakumar will be CM. If our Union leaders ask us to give support we will never go against high command’s words. If BJP Union leaders ask Karnataka BJP to support DKS to form the government, we will,” Sadananda Gowda said.
Even as he spoke of accepting Shivakumar’s leadership if directed to do so, the BJP continues to circulate animated videos mocking the Deputy Chief Minister’s ambitions.
The discussion around Shivakumar’s prospects has also gained momentum because Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has now completed two-and-a-half years in office.
The milestone has revived longstanding speculation about a possible rotational arrangement within the Congress, an arrangement that has been a point of friction between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar since the government came to power in 2023. With the internal debate intensifying, Congress MLAs travelling to New Delhi over the past week have reiterated that any decision on elevating Shivakumar is firmly in the hands of the high command.