If ever there was a perfect tussle for power, the Karnataka example would fit to a ‘T’. What began as a sustained bout of shadow boxing in the summer of 2023 as a resurgent Congress stormed to power in the south-western state has continued to pop up, at the most inappropriate of times for the ruling dispensation and much to the delight of the Opposition who have rubbed it in, almost at will. The two contenders – one the incumbent Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the other his fiery and influential deputy, D K Shivakumar have for the present decided to bare their real intentions, stop pretending, and indulging in typical Congress party doublespeak, thereby letting it out all in the open.

With south India still refusing to be ‘Modified’ to the extent the saffron headquarters wants in New Delhi and elsewhere, the dramatic high which the GOP experienced two years ago when they wrested control in Bengaluru is no more evident in the silicon city. Propped up by well-wishers and a motley set of mutt leaders brazenly exhibiting a cocktail of casteist and religious power, both Shivakumar, the crisis manager and the go-to man for Congress for a few years and his senior competitor Siddaramaiah have not let anything pass in their battle for the gaddi.

With loyalties split within the cabinet as groupism is rampant, the CM and his deputy have had to enable the campwalas to vent out their feelings (like how a ventriloquist does) and then pretend to douse the fire that it invariably causes. One has read a host of loaded statements, directly and indirectly, made by the leaders themselves and the ubiquitous AICC heads, who still unsuccessfully try to cover up and deflect attention from the raging controversy. It is still inexplicable why Congress is doing this.

In a long time, they won with a convincing number of seats in 2023 after receiving sizeable support from the public in Karnataka, who were fed up with the ineffective rule of BJP, fighting its own battles within the party. If ever power sharing by ‘rotation’ was considered a doomed to fail task, the Karnataka example would add to the many that have taken place in India over the past three decades, when coalition governments, shaky right from the start, patch up just in time to seize the gaddi and convince the dissidents in their respective parties that it will be an equal tenure rule for the principal players.

Invariably, betrayal and opportunistic switch of partners to stay on and make fresh alliances to ensure their political survival have been the oft-used tactics of both regional and national parties, which are forgotten as the next elections are announced. There is a huge list in this regard for political scholars to study all over the nation. Karnataka has once again grabbed attention as the political pow-wow as of now is being played out in New Delhi, where political pundits enjoy the southern flavour of this no-holds-barred fight and come up with expert theories on how it may all end up. As far as the grand old party is concerned, it has often shown that it needs no enemies from outside, laden as it is with ‘good friends’ within. Going by past experiences, Bengaluru may quiver and shake for a while, but this too shall pass. Or fail, depending on which lobby you want in power.