Last Updated:
The Karnataka deputy chief minister’s Maha Kumbh praise and decision to share space with Amit Shah at the Maha Shivratri celebrations at Coimbatore’s Isha Foundation have angered a section of Congressmen
Critics say that Shivakumar’s comments and praises for BJP leaders like Yogi Adityanath could indicate his growing proximity to the BJP. (PTI)
If there was an apt dialogue to describe DK Shivakumar’s political stance at this moment, it would be: “Fire! Jhukega nahi!” On one hand, Shivakumar is seen firefighting within the Congress as he pushes towards his goal of becoming the chief minister of Karnataka, while on the other, he is playing with fire—showering praise on the arrangements at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj and sharing space with Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the Maha Shivratri celebrations at Coimbatore’s Isha Foundation.
Shivakumar is facing flak from a section of Congressmen for attending the event at Isha Yoga after Sadhguru’s controversial comment on Rahul Gandhi in 2014.
At the time, Sadhguru had said: “Arvind Kejriwal is talking corruption, Narendra Modi is talking development. What does Rahul Gandhi stand for? At least it is not clear to me.” This statement has now resurfaced, with even the JDS tweeting about it.
“Optics is everything. How will Rahul Gandhi take this move by DK Shivakumar—accepting an invitation to the Shivratri event and praising the Isha Foundation when Sadhguru had once insulted him? Does this not show DK’s duplicity? Trying to be in the good books of both the Congress and the BJP? I think he is trying to put his feet in two boats and not sink,” said a senior JDS leader to News18.
After his dip at the Triveni Sangam, Shivakumar was seen praising the arrangements made by the UP government. Lauding the leadership of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, he asked people not to politicise it. Taking a jibe at those who questioned his sudden soft stance towards the BJP, Shivakumar declared: “I was born a Hindu and will die a Hindu.”
He added that he respects all religions and the Congress is a party that believes in taking everyone along. “Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Indira Gandhi followed this philosophy. I have seen Sonia Gandhi celebrating Ugadi; she is more Indian than many of us,” he said.
Shivakumar also defended his visit to Isha Yoga, saying it represented his belief as a “born Hindu”.
“I am a born Hindu who loves all religions, and it does not mean that I am coming close to the BJP. I have not met Amit Shah at all… I have already been criticised for my visit to the Isha Foundation. I was invited by Sadhguru, and I will be going there,” he said. He also added that he has been observing statements on social media and hearing from friends asking why he is getting close to the BJP. He said he replied by saying that he does not take allegations made by the BJP seriously.
Visuals of Shivakumar with Sadhguru and Shah surfaced during the Maha Shivratri festivities, where Karnataka’s deputy chief minister was also seen shaking a leg during the chanting and ceremonies.
Sadhguru had visited Shivakumar in Bengaluru and extended an invitation to him during a meeting at his residence, which Shivakumar later acknowledged on X. “Grateful to Sadhguru Shri Jaggi Vasudev for inviting me to the Mahashivaratri celebrations at Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore. Looking forward to experiencing the divine energy of the night at this grand spiritual gathering.”
On the political front, Shivakumar is in no mood to relinquish his post as KPCC president. He has reportedly reiterated to the Congress high command that he is the one who can lead the party in 2028 — “at whatever post it may be” — and that he has repeatedly proved his organisational skills, not just as a Karnataka leader but as a pan-India one. He highlighted how he has been called by the party to campaign during elections in various states, including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, New Delhi, Assam, Bihar, Maharashtra, and Himachal Pradesh.
“The Congress has raised me as a minister since the beginning of my political career in the 1990s. They made me party president for five years, and now they have given me the post of deputy CM. After all this, if I do not show my face and work for Congress, how can my leadership be justified? Has Congress given me so much power to sit at home? No matter what position I hold, I will lead the party,” Shivakumar told the media when asked about the leadership change in the party and the state.
It is said in closed circles that when Congress was voted to power in 2023, Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, and KC Venugopal arrived at an oral agreement that the CM’s post would be shared on a rotational basis between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar during the five-year term.
However, there seems to be unrest in Shivakumar’s mind, as he has not been able to convince the Congress high command to hand over the Karnataka chief ministership to him as part of this unwritten power-sharing agreement with Siddaramaiah. Critics say that Shivakumar’s comments and praises for BJP leaders like Yogi Adityanath could indicate his growing proximity to the BJP.
With the halfway mark of the government’s term approaching, there is chatter that the party high command is working on a formula for a smooth transfer of power after Siddaramaiah presents his 16th consecutive budget and completes seven years as CM—including his tenure between 2013 and 2018—in January 2026, breaking the record of former CM late D. Devaraj Urs.
Shivakumar has also reminded senior leaders in Delhi that while he will portray a united front with Siddaramaiah, it was under his leadership as state party president that the Congress came to power in Karnataka in both 2013 and 2023. On both occasions, Siddaramaiah was made CM.
“In 2013, I was the campaign committee president, and in the last election, I was the party president. Now I am deputy chief minister. I should use my ability and experience. Siddaramaiah will also lead the party. He has been the Leader of the Opposition for two terms and CM for two terms. We will move forward under collective leadership,” he said.
Facing verbal attacks from a section of cabinet ministers and those close to the Siddaramaiah camp, who are asking him to relinquish the KPCC post as part of the Congress’ “one leader, one post” formula, Shivakumar hit back, saying, “The KPCC president’s post is not something available in a store for purchase, nor can it be acquired by making statements about it in the media.”
