Siddaramaiah’s legal woes spark succession row in Karnataka Congress

As the legal troubles hit Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, there appears to be a twist in the Karnataka Congress, with discussions underway on who’d replace him in case he has to step down. Deputy CM D K Shivakumar’s aspiration to become the CM is well known. Last year, when the Congress returned to power in the state, he had pushed for the top job, but the Congress high command went for Siddaramaiah. Now Shivakumar is interacting with party legislators to get their support and claim the top job once again. According to Congress sources, Siddaramaiah is likely to throw his weight behind either HC Mahadevappa, or Satish Jarkiholi. While Mahadevappa is a Dalit, Jarkiholi is from a Scheduled Tribe (ST) community; however, it’s likely that Satish Jarkiholi and HC Mahadevappa are not serious contenders for the CM post, because of their history with the JDS. On the other hand, Congress high command favours Karnataka Home Minister and prominent leader from the Dalit community, G Parameshwara. Parameshwara, who spent eight years as KPCC president, narrowly missed becoming CM in 2013 after he faced an unexpected defeat. His chances could come soon as DK Shivakumar, who was widely believed to be a successor to Siddaramaiah, is seen being on the defensive. If Parameshwara gets the top job, then Karnataka will have its first Dalit CM.