Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah has hinted at ongoing rifts within the party ahead of the upcoming state elections in Karnataka, specifically in relation to his longtime rival and current state party chief, DK Shivakumar. Despite both men being contenders for the top post, Siddaramaiah declared that Shivakumar does not stand a chance and that he himself is also an aspirant for the Chief Minister post.
He further indicated that the high command would not give the post to Shivakumar. When asked about allowing a younger person to take on the role, Siddaramaiah, who is now 75 years old, stated that this would be his last election. The decades-old rivalry between the two leaders had appeared to be on pause during Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, but resurfaced in February when the leaders held separate bus tours in different parts of the state.
The fault line over accepting turncoats also became apparent, as Siddaramaiah has refused to allow them back into the party, while Shivakumar met with MLA Anand Singh who had previously quit the Congress. Senior Congress leaders have emphasized the need for unity, but the disagreement over the candidate for the top job appears to be deeply ingrained and is affecting candidate selection in the state.
Despite this, both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have ruled out the possibility of a hung assembly and a fresh alliance with HD Kumaraswamy's Janata Dal Secular, predicting an outright Congress victory. The Karnataka elections are scheduled for May 10, with the results to be declared on May 13.
