Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is actively pushing for a power-sharing arrangement that would install multiple deputy chief ministers ahead of his expected resignation, according to sources familiar with ongoing political negotiations within the state Congress leadership. The maneuver reflects intensifying internal dynamics within the ruling coalition as the 76-year-old Siddaramaiah faces mounting pressure to step down and make way for Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, whose faction within the Congress has grown increasingly assertive.
The proposed multi-deputy chief minister formula represents a significant departure from Karnataka’s conventional governance structure, which has historically featured a single deputy occupying the second-ranking position in the cabinet hierarchy. Siddaramaiah’s camp views this arrangement as a strategic compromise that would distribute power across competing party factions and potentially secure positions for his key allies even after his departure from the chief minister’s office. This proposal comes amid mounting speculation about the timeline of the leadership transition, with political observers suggesting the change could materialize within weeks rather than months.
The feasibility of the multiple deputy chief minister arrangement hinges critically on whether D.K. Shivakumar and his supporters will endorse the proposal. Shivakumar, who has consolidated significant influence over the past eighteen months through control of party organization machinery and demonstrated capacity to manage grassroots politics, holds considerable leverage in these negotiations. His acceptance or rejection of the formula could determine whether the proposed succession unfolds smoothly or descends into open factional conflict that weakens the Congress’s electoral prospects heading toward 2028 state assembly elections.
The political arithmetic underlying Siddaramaiah’s proposal becomes clearer when examined against Karnataka’s factional landscape. The Congress state unit remains fractured between the Siddaramaiah-led Old Mysore region faction and Shivakumar’s Vokkaliga-dominated contingent, with independent operators from coastal Karnataka complicating the equation further. By proposing multiple deputy positions, Siddaramaiah arguably seeks to create structural safeguards for his supporters while demonstrating magnanimity toward his rivals. Such an approach would also preserve a semblance of continuity for his policies and political network beyond his tenure.
Party sources indicate that negotiations remain fluid, with various stakeholders pressing competing interests. Senior Congress functionaries have reportedly encouraged Siddaramaiah to prioritize party unity and electoral viability over personal faction considerations, framing the transition as inevitable and arguing that orderly succession serves the party better than prolonged power-sharing disputes. Meanwhile, Shivakumar’s team has neither enthusiastically endorsed nor explicitly rejected the multiple deputy formula, maintaining strategic ambiguity that preserves negotiating flexibility. This calculated silence reflects the political sophistication Shivakumar has demonstrated since assuming the deputy chief minister position in December 2022.
The broader implications of this succession drama extend beyond Karnataka’s borders, carrying consequences for Congress’s national political standing. Congress leaders in New Delhi have maintained official neutrality regarding Karnataka state politics, though privately party leadership remains keenly invested in managing the succession so it strengthens rather than fractures the state organization. A messy transition featuring open conflict between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar factions would provide ammunition to the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, which currently holds power in adjacent states and actively monitors Congress vulnerabilities. Conversely, a carefully orchestrated transition that accommodates multiple stakeholder interests could project an image of institutional maturity that bolsters Congress credibility nationally.
The timeline for resolution remains uncertain, though political observers across Karnataka suggest critical developments will materialize within the next 60 to 90 days. Whether Siddaramaiah’s multiple deputy chief minister formula gains traction depends on ongoing closed-door negotiations between factional leaders and Congress party high command. The coming weeks will reveal whether the proposed arrangement represents a genuine power-sharing compromise or merely a tactical delay in an inevitable transition. Equally important will be whether this succession process strengthens or fractures the Congress machine precisely when anti-incumbency and organizational challenges threaten the party’s 2028 electoral ambitions in the state.
