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Karnataka developments and scope for Opposition alliance

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8 years ago

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Karnataka developments and scope for Opposition alliance

The coming together of Congress and JD(S) in Karnataka has indications of a possible coming together of Opposition parties to counter the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Leaders of various other parties chipped in to play a role in getting the two parties together. According to media reports, as the results came in, Opposition leaders like Mamata Banerjee, Sitaram Yechury, K Chandrasekhar Rao and Mayawati dialled JD(S) patriarch HD Deve Gowda asking him to remain committed to the secular cause and stay away from joining hands with the BJP.

The Congress itself had made up its mind, even before the results came in, to extend support to a JD(S) government led by HD Kumaraswamy in case the Congress tally fell below 90 seats. This was conveyed to JD(S) spokesperson Danish Ali when Ghulam Nabi Azad met him on Sunday night. With the experience of Goa rankling Congress, it was also decided that the two parties should not waste any time if the situation comes to such a pass.

This was conveyed to Kumaraswamy and Deve Gowda.

Bitter rivals in Bengal, the Left leaders and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee, both backed the Congress-JD(S) alliance against the BJP. CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury was also in touch with Deve Gowda before counting began. Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, suggesting that the Congress would have fared better with a pre-poll alliance with the JD(S), urged Deve Gowda to keep the BJP out of the state with the aid of Congress.

Banerjee tweeted, “If the Congress had gone into an alliance with the JD(S), the result would have been different. Very different.”

Opposition leaders who spoke to Deve Gowda urged him to shed any misgivings in joining hands with Congress after a hard fought electoral battle against the party. They tried to convince him that trying to stop the BJP from getting power was the best way to prove the JD(S)’s secular credentials and shed its 2006 baggage when Kumaraswamy joined hands with the BJP.

As the alliance was agreed upon, the Congress was asked to join the government and offered the post of Deputy Chief Minister and some ministers.

The idea was to take the alliance to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Deve Gowda reportedly told senior Opposition leaders that he was on board. Key opposition parties rallied behind the Congress-JDS alliance as it concretised.

The Left, among the biggest proponents of opposition unity, welcomed the Congress’ decision to support JD(S) and reiterated this was the need of the hour to defeat the BJP. It also cautioned the Congress, advising it to be more “realistic and accommodative of regional parties”.

Mamata Banerjee congratulated HD Deve Gowda soon after the Congress announced its unconditional support to JDS.

BSP chief Mayawati, said a report in The Times of India, took the initiative to break ice between UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and JD(S) chief HD Devegowda, goading them to come together and stake claim to form government before BJP.

The BSP had contested Karnataka polls in a pre-poll alliance with JD(S), putting up candidates in 20 seats. Mayawati, in fact, addressed four rallies jointly with JD(S) leaders during the campaign. Though BSP vote share dipped from 1.16% in 2013 Karnataka elections to 0.3%, it still managed to win one seat, its first in the state.

As projections after voting showed a hung Assembly, Mayawati asked her close aide and party Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Siddharth, who is also Karnataka BSP in charge, to meet Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad. While Azad then spoke to Sonia about the prospective alliance, Mayawati called up JD(S) chief HD Deve Gowda and convinced him. Mayawati, sources said, subsequently spoke to Sonia and suggested that Congress extend support to JD(S) to which she agreed.

Mayawati had earlier bailed out Congress government in Uttarakhand in 2016 and its two MLAs voted for it in the floor test following disqualification of its nine MLAs who defected to BJP camp.

Mayawati also tied up with Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party and backed its candidate in Gorakhpur Lok Sabha by-election in which they managed to defeat the BJP in its chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s home turf.

While leaders of other Opposition parties have made their preference clear, the Congress needs to modify its approach and game plan to accommodate them for a broad alliance to take shape. Reportedly, similar sentiments were voiced by some Congress leaders as well.

Regional forces like the Trinamool Congress, NCP, DMK and the Left said the Congress should read the writing on the wall and join hands with state parties if it was serious about taking on the BJP. They said the Congress should take the lead in forging alliances, but without setting any condition. The NCP said the Congress should forget about the prime ministerial candidate issue for now.

“Congress should take the leadership to unite all the democratic, secular and anti-BJP parties, and it should be well-planned. Our planning may have to be changed state to state. Not only from a national perspective, but from a regional perspective. For example, in Kerala, the Congress and CPI(M) may not be able to go together. But outside Kerala, we can go together. Similarly, what is our strategy with Mamata Banerjee, Sharad Pawar? Congress has to be at the forefront,” said former Union minister KV Thomas, according to a media report.

Congress leaders said the party, by extending support to JD(S), although belatedly, was sending out a message of flexibility. “That is the message Sonia Gandhi is trying to send out, that we can do anything to keep the BJP out of power,” said a senior party leader.

The NCP, DMK and Left agreed with the idea of a flexible Congress allying with regional forces against the BJP.

Speaking about the Karnataka election results, DMK’s TKS Elangovan said the Congress should have entered into a pre-poll alliance with JD(S). He suggested that the Congress should ally with regional parties, allowing them a greater share in their States in return for a larger share of seats at the Centre.

He said, “The Congress should have allied with the JD(S). The problem with the party is that they want everything. They should have told the JD(S) that you run the show, we will support you, and in Parliament you give us more seats. It would have helped them in 2019. My advice to the Congress is that barring few states where there are no regional parties, give a major share to the regional parties and take a major share for Parliament elections.”

NCP’s Tariq Anwar, noting that the Congress got more votes than the BJP in Karnataka, said, “This is not the defeat of the Congress or the leadership. A prior understanding with the JD(S) would have worked better… The role of regional parties is very important, and the Congress should try to take all opposition, all regional parties…, into confidence and go for an alliance. If you want to defeat the BJP, you (Congress) will have to go with the regional parties.”

He, however, added that any alliance without the Congress would not work, given its pan-India footprint.

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Congress Dismisses Karnataka Leadership Transition Rumors After Six-Hour Delhi Meet

The Congress party has rejected ongoing rumors regarding a leadership change or a rotating Chief Minister formula in Karnataka, stating that a recent six-hour meeting in Delhi focused strictly on the upcoming Rajya Sabha and MLC elections.

Published

42 mins ago

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May 26, 2026

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The Congress party has strongly downplayed the intense political buzz surrounding a potential leadership transition or a change in the Chief Minister’s post in Karnataka. Following a marathon six-hour meeting with the state’s top leadership in New Delhi, the party explicitly rejected the ongoing speculation, labeling it as having “no reality.”

A brief statement issued to the media after the high-level meeting advised against spreading rumors, clarifying that the discussions were entirely centered on upcoming electoral strategies rather than structural changes within the state government. The party stated that the deliberations solely revolved around the state’s three vacant Rajya Sabha seats and the upcoming Member of Legislative Council (MLC) elections.

Rajya Sabha and MLC Polls Take Center Stage

The high-stakes meeting was attended by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, senior leader Rahul Gandhi, and party General Secretary KC Venugopal, alongside Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.

Briefing the media post-meeting, KC Venugopal stated that conversations were strictly confined to the Rajya Sabha and MLC elections, emphasizing that there is no truth to any other political speculation. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also confirmed that the agenda of a potential cabinet expansion or a leadership shift did not come up during the six-hour-long discussion.

Background of the Power Struggle

The question of leadership in Karnataka has remained a recurring theme for over a year. Supporters of Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar have consistently maintained that the central leadership promised a rotating Chief Ministership arrangement when the government was formed after the 2023 assembly elections.

Speculation had intensified recently as the ruling government faced local anti-incumbency pressures alongside renewed political activity from the opposition bench. Some internal reports had even indicated a push from within certain sections of the high command, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, for a leadership revamp.

Balancing Caste Equations and Party Structure

The central leadership has navigated the situation cautiously to maintain political stability. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, 80, commands a powerful “Ahinda” support base—a coalition comprising minority communities, backward classes, and Dalits. This social alliance was crucial in helping the party navigate the traditional Vokkaliga and Lingayat caste dynamics during the 2023 elections.

Although the rotation issue had previously gained significant momentum when the government completed two years in office, the party high command had chosen to maintain the status quo to avoid any adverse electoral impact in neighboring assembly elections, such as in Tamil Nadu. With those elections concluded, supporters of the 64-year-old Deputy Chief Minister had expressed optimism for a transition. Shivakumar currently holds the dual responsibility of being the Deputy Chief Minister as well as the state Congress chief, signaling his critical organizational value to the party. However, for the time being, the party high command has firmly signaled that the current leadership structure will remain unchanged.

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Congress high command steps in to resolve Karnataka leadership impasse with crucial Delhi meeting

The Congress leadership, including Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, is holding a vital meeting in Delhi with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to find a definitive solution to the state’s prolonged leadership impasse.

Published

11 hours ago

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May 26, 2026

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The top leadership of the Congress party is scheduled to hold a high-level meeting at its headquarters in the national capital today morning to address the long-standing leadership dispute in Karnataka. Senior leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge and MP Rahul Gandhi, will lead the discussions aimed at resolving the continuous friction between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.

The ongoing power struggle over the state’s top position has persisted since the party’s electoral victory in 2023. For the current session, only Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been called to join the discussions in Delhi. When questioned about the agenda by reporters, the Chief Minister stated that he was unaware of the specific subjects to be discussed, noting that political speculation is inevitable.

Background of the internal division

The internal friction intensified significantly in November 2025 when the state government completed its two-and-a-half-year mark in office. Supporters of the Deputy Chief Minister pointed to a purported unacknowledged internal arrangement suggesting a rotational chief ministership split equally across the five-year term. Despite multiple prior interventions by central party leadership to manage the internal friction, a permanent resolution has remained elusive.

While Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has not been invited to this morning’s initial session, indications suggest that separate individual discussions and a potential joint meeting involving both leaders are planned as part of the broader resolution process. Observers note that several state ministers and legislators have also traveled to the national capital as the party leadership aims to settle the administrative roadmap and finalise leadership plans before the next assembly elections.

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No uniform civil code provisions will be imposed on tribals, clarifies Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has assured tribal communities that the proposed Uniform Civil Code will not interfere with their customs, urging them not to be misled by misinformation.

Published

1 day ago

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May 25, 2026

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday declared that the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will not impact tribal populations in any manner. He called upon the community to stay vigilant against “conspiracies” and misinformation circulating on the subject.

Addressing the Janjati Sanskritik Samagam—a tribal conclave organized by the Janjati Suraksha Manch at the Red Fort grounds to mark the 150th birth anniversary year of Birsa Munda—Shah stated that specific provisions have been implemented in states ruled by the ruling party to exclude tribal communities from the scope of the code.

Clarification on customs and traditions

The Home Minister highlighted that a deliberate narrative has emerged suggesting the proposed legislation would strip tribal societies of their distinct culture, traditions, and customary lifestyles.

He explicitly clarified that the central government has no intention of forcing UCC regulations upon tribal or Vanvasi communities. Shah pointed out that where regional administrations have initiated the code, care has been taken by the leadership to ensure that indigenous populations remain fully outside its jurisdiction. He requested attendees to disseminate this assurance deeply into forest zones and rural villages to erase lingering apprehensions.

Focus on security and community development

Beyond the legislative framework, Shah detailed the progress made toward curbing internal security threats, stating that the nation is steadily advancing toward eradicating Naxalism entirely. He noted that violent disruptions had severely restricted progress in these belts for decades, leading to the loss of thousands of tribal lives. According to the minister, regional stability will now pave the way for accelerated development across remote hills and forests.

The address also covered constitutional rights regarding personal faith. Shah mentioned that the original framework of the Constitution grants every citizen the dignity to practice their traditional beliefs without facing coercion, temptation, or material inducement for religious conversion.

Reflecting on financial allocations, the minister criticized earlier political administrations for keeping tribal welfare funding low. He underscored that the current administration under Prime Minister Narendra Modi significantly elevated the dedicated tribal budget from a previous Rs 28,000 crore to Rs 1.54 lakh crore. Terming the vast gathering a historical movement for cultural preservation, Shah described the societal awakening as a major step toward safeguarding tribal heritage for future generations.

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