Why Siddaramiah remains INC’s most favoured leader in Karnataka despite all odds

It was the TINA (There Is No Alternative) factor for the Congress high command when it reappointed Karnataka's former chief minister Siddaramaiah as the Leader of Opposition in the state Legislative Assembly, as any other choice would have resulted in fresh problems of identity crisis for the incumbent, when the Congress is trying to pick up the threads after parting ways with the JD(S).

Former Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara and senior Congress MLA H K Patil, who lost the race for the post, were seen as meek leaders with limited connect to the masses, considering the party has to take on the BJP at both the Centre and the state, with Assembly bye-elections to 15 constituencies scheduled for December 5.

The bye-polls are crucial for all three parties in the state. The seats were held by the Congress and the JD(S), who have to retain the seats. Meanwhile, the BJP has to win in at least seven out of the 15 constituencies to ensure that the BS Yediyurappa-led BJP government is stable. 

“I would like to be led by a person who has a connect with the public and party. Parameshwara and H K Patil are gentlemen but confined to their regions. If the Congress has to be rejuvenated in Karnataka, it needs a person who is combative and battle-ready,” a Congress legislator said.

However, the appointment of the Leader of Opposition was a trying time for Siddaramaiah and the two front-runners. The issue of ‘loyal Congressmen versus the migrants’ cropped up again, as Siddaramaiah, despite being the Chief Minister for five years and being associated with the Congress since 2006, is still labelled as an outsider. The issue led to the tussle for the selection, with MP B K Hariprasad and former MP K H Muniyappa coming out against him publicly. 

For the first time, there was also a demand for separating the posts of Leader of Opposition and the leader of the Congress legislature party, which Siddaramaiah stoutly opposed.

According to Congress insiders, no one was sure which way the decision of party president Sonia Gandhi would go, although 60 party legislators had submitted a memorandum favouring him over AICC observer Madhusudan Mistry. The suspense continued even as the CLP meeting on Wednesday evening was in progress, as the AICC's announcement came during dinner time.

In a tweet, Siddaramaiah thanked Sonia and Rahul for appointing him as the Leader of Opposition and the leader of the Congress Legislature Party. “I am honoured by her faith in me. All Karnataka Congress leaders will work to strengthen the party and expose the failures of the BJP government,'' he said.

The high command has also agreed to Siddaramaiah’s request to quit the Congress Working Committee.

If this bonanza was not enough for Siddaramaiah, his close associate, former minister S R Patil has been made the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council. He hails from Bagalkot district, where Siddaramaiah's Badami constituency falls.

What makes Siddaramaiah tick with the high command

The 71-year-old Kuruba leader, self-declared agnostic, who prefers to be called a champion of the other backward classes, has had a dream run till now. He was taken into the Congress after party leaders such as Mallikarjun M Kharge, D K Shivakumar and H Vishwanath (now disqualified JD(S) MLA) lobbied for him with the high command that he would bring in 6% of OBC votes to the party. In 2013, he successfully edged out Kharge from the race for CM’s post to establish his monopoly in the state Congress and emerge as the face of the party in Karnataka.

The only Congress CM to complete five years in office after former CM D Devaraj Urs, some of Siddaramaiah’s political actions of favouring his ex-party colleagues, his decision to give a religious minority tag to the Lingayat community was not approved by the high command.

On the contrary, they have put up with his tantrums. In June 2012, he resigned as the Leader of Opposition as he was miffed over not being consulted in giving tickets during the Legislative Council polls. The reason for this was that he is the face of the Ahinda (Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes and Dalits), with prominent castes Lingayats and Vokkaligas shifting their loyalty to the BJP and JD(S) respectively.

Presently, the party, which has to rebuild from the grassroots-level in Karnataka, has no formidable leader with mass connect. Kharge has been keeping a low profile after his defeat, while Shivakumar is embroiled in money laundering cases.

The animosity between JD(S) first family HD Deve Gowda-HD Kumaraswamy and Siddaramaiah lingers and the chances of the Congress getting the support of the JD(S) on the floor of the House are remote with Siddaramaiah as the Leader of Opposition.

Kumaraswamy has already declared that his party will not support the Congress in the House. As a senior Congressman said: “In Karnataka, the bosses of the parties cannot antagonise Siddaramaiah, BS Yediyurappa or HD Deve Gowda, as they bring votes for their respective outfits.”

Naheed Ataulla is a journalist who covered Karnataka politics for over two decades and is former Political Editor of The Times of India.