Bengaluru, Jan 6 (PTI) After days of haggling with his deputy over the 'chair' that threw up some nervous moments for him, Congress veteran Siddaramaiah is now on the cusp of a unique record--Karnataka's
longest serving Chief Minister.
For a man rooted in 'Janata Parivar' for over two decades and known for strident anti-Congress stance in the past, it has been a remarkable turn around for the 77 year-old, as he equals on Tuesday, fellow Mysurian Devaraj Urs' record of number of days in office.
In his second term as chief minister, Siddaramaiah equalled Urs’ record as the longest serving CM of the state with 2,792 days in office, and will be the proud holder of the record from January 7 onwards.
Urs, considered as icon of social justice and land reforms in the state, was a two term CM (1972-1977, 1978-1980).
Siddaramaiah, who is also the only CM after Urs to complete five years, was in the office for 1,829 days in his first term from May 13, 2013 to May 15, 2018.
In his second term so far since May 20, 2023, he has completed 963 days, but not before supporters of deputy CM DK Shivakumar tried to throw a spanner by vehemently seeking their leader's elevation, in lines with a rumoured 2023 power-sharing formula.
From early 1980s to 2005, Siddaramaiah, who comes from a poor farmer's family, was a die-hard anti-Congressman. But his ouster from JD(S) of former Prime Minister Deve Gowda brought him to political cross-roads, and made him join the very party he had opposed.
For his patience and persistence, Siddaramaiah realised his life-time ambition and went on to become the CM as the Congress' pick in 2013. Those qualities, besides his bluntness, once again catapulted the nine time MLA to another stint in the top office in 2023.
Siddaramaiah, who has made no secret of his ambition to complete his tenure as Chief Minister, one last time, is hoping to sign off on a "high". He has however given mixed signals about continuing in electoral politics.
Siddaramaiah has the credit of successfully edging out Congress' heavyweights to become the CM-- Shivakumar in 2023 and M Mallikarjun Kharge (now the AICC President) a decade ago.
After the fractured verdict in 2004, the Congress and JD(S) formed a coalition government, with Siddaramaiah, then in JD(S), being made deputy to Congress' N Dharam Singh, who became Chief Minister. Siddaramaiah holds a grouse, stating that he had the opportunity to lead the state then, but Gowda scuttled his prospects.
Following this, in 2005, Siddaramaiah, a Kuruba -- the third largest caste in Karnataka -- chose to position himself as a backward classes leader, by spearheading AHINDA (Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes and Dalits) conventions, coincidentally at a time when Deve the former PM's son H D Kumaraswamy was seen as a rising star of the party.
Siddaramaiah was sacked from JD(S), where he had earlier served as its state unit chief, with critics of the party insisting that he was removed as Deve Gowda was keen to promote Kumaraswamy.
Siddaramaiah, an advocate, at the time talked about "political sanyas" and even toyed with the idea of going back to his law practice. He ruled out floating a regional outfit, saying he can't muster money power. Both the BJP and the Congress wooed him then.
But Siddaramaiah said he did not agree with the BJP ideology and joined the Congress with his followers in 2006, a move considered "unthinkable" only a couple of years earlier then.
In 2004, he narrowly missed a chance to CM's chair, after the incumbent Deve Gowda went on to become the PM.
Siddaramaiah was pipped by J H Patel in whose Cabinet he was deputy CM. Both under Gowda and Patel, he served as Finance Minister.
Siddaramaiah, who has grown to become a mass leader, has the distinction of presenting as many as 16 state budgets.
A product of 'Janata Parivar', he was influenced by socialist ideals advocated by Dr Ram Manohar Lohia, bade adieu to his advocate profession to pursue political career -- first as a taluk board member.
Making his debut in the Assembly in 1983, elected from Chamundeshwari constituency in Mysuru on a Lok Dal party ticket, he later joined the ruling erstwhile Janata Party.
He lost 1989 and 1999 Assembly elections, and 1991 Lok Sabha polls from Koppal.
He was Chairman of the KPCC Publicity committee of Elections in 2008, after joining Congress.
With Congress losing that election, he became the Leader of Opposition and strongly took on the BJP government on corruption, scams and illegal mining.
Known for his administrative acumen, Siddaramaiah led a successful five year term as Chief Minister of Congress government between 2013-18. However, despite being popular because of populist "Bhagya" schemes, Congress faced a defeat in 2018.
Siddaramaiah himself lost the 2018 polls in Chamundeshwari in Mysuru to JD(S)' G T Deve Gowda by 36,042 votes.
He, however, won from Badami in Bagalkote district.
After the 2018 polls, Siddaramaiah served as chief of the Congress-JD(S) government's coalition coordination committee, and following the collapse of the coalition government and BJP coming to power, he became the LoP.
Announcing 2023 polls to be his last, Siddaramaiah went back to his home constituency of Varuna and once again won from there. He had then said this may be his last polls, but will continue to remain in politics thereafter. PTI KSU SA
