At a time when speculation is rife that Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar could be playing ball with the BJP—given his recent actions like attending a religious function in Coimbatore where Union Home Minister Amit Shah was also present—the Karnataka BJP leadership has begun fishing in troubled Congress waters.
On Thursday, the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, R Ashoka, came out with a statement calculated to further prise open the infighting in the ruling Congress.
Ashoka told media persons on Thursday that things within the Congress were unfolding as he had anticipated and that he foresaw a leadership change within the Congress-led government and Siddaramaiah making way for Shivakumar.
Ashoka said he was sure that Shivakumar could be one of the leaders in that party who can cause a split. Now, taking advantage of Shivakumar’s presence at Coimbatore Isha Foundation’s Shivaratri celebrations, where Union Home Minister Amit Shah was also present, the Leader of the opposition said at the press conference that there are leaders in the Congress who can cause a split in the party, and Shivakumar is one among them.
Claiming to be an accurate reader of political winds in the state, Ashoka said he could anticipate changes and predicted a leadership change in the government in November this year. “I have fixed the auspicious time for the change of Chief Minister in Karnataka—that is on November 16,” Ashoka said, clearly fishing in troubled waters and trying to create confusion in the Congress ranks.
When asked about the speculation and developments, state BJP chief BY Vijayendra steered clear of making any comment but gave enough hints of fast-paced developments within the Congress. Or at least, that appeared to be his wishful thinking, as reflected in his remark at a different press conference. “I observe rapid political developments in the state in the coming days, and the current infighting in the Congress is an indication of future developments in Karnataka,” Vijayendra said.
But his colleague, Leader of the Opposition Ashoka, declared that there would be “an Eknath Shinde in Karnataka”, and Shivakumar could be the one to split the Congress and align with the BJP to form a government. “But it is an internal matter of the Congress and it is up to them whether they want to take disciplinary action against Shivakumar for going to Prayagraj to take a holy dip at the Kumbh and participating in Shivaratri celebrations, where he was in the same frame as Union Minister Amit Shah,” the BJP leader said.
However, Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar on Wednesday dismissed all speculation about his suspected shift to the BJP as rubbish, stating that he was a born Congressman and committed to leading the party to victory in the 2028 assembly elections. “It is all BJP propaganda,” he said.
As for his participation in the Kumbh or Shivaratri celebrations in Coimbatore, Shivakumar said it was a matter of personal faith and should not be viewed through a political lens.