As Karnataka prepares for the swearing-in of DK Shivakumar as the Chief Minister, a new contest emerging within the Congress: who gets the crucial Deputy Chief Minister’s post, or posts.
For weeks, the
political conversation revolved around whether Siddaramaiah would complete his term or hand over power to Shivakumar. With that question now settled, attention has shifted to the composition of the new government, particularly the deputy chief minister positions that could become the key mechanism through which the Congress balances competing power centres, caste equations and factional interests. Reports suggest the party leadership is weighing multiple Deputy CM appointments, though no final decision has been announced yet.
At the centre of the discussion are two politically significant names: Yathindra Siddaramaiah, son of Siddaramaiah, and Priyank Kharge, son of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. The debate is about far more than family legacies. It is ultimately about how the Congress chooses to distribute power in Karnataka after one of the most delicate leadership transitions in the party’s recent history.
Why Yathindra’s Name Is Being Discussed For Deputy CM Post
A doctor-turned-politician, Yathindra Siddaramaiah is the younger son of former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Trained as a pathologist, he entered electoral politics in 2018 when he contested and won from the Varuna Assembly constituency, a seat previously represented by his father. After serving as an MLA between 2018 and 2023, he moved to the Karnataka Legislative Council in 2024.
Yathindra Siddaramaiah has long been seen as one of the most influential figures within his father’s political camp. Though he has largely operated behind the scenes in recent years, his influence within the Siddaramaiah faction has grown steadily.
Speculation around his future intensified after Siddaramaiah travelled to Delhi with his son amid consultations with the Congress high command over the new government. Since then, reports have suggested that Yathindra could be accommodated either in the cabinet or in another prominent role as part of the broader power-sharing arrangement being worked out between the Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar camps.
The rumours became so intense that Yathindra himself was forced to publicly respond. According to reports, he rejected claims that his father had demanded a Deputy CM post for him and said the decision rested entirely with the party leadership. He also recalled that Rahul Gandhi had once remarked that he would become “another DK Shivakumar” if he continued organisational work, a comment that fuelled further discussion about his future role within the Congress.
Why Priyanka Kharge Could Be No. 2
Priyank Kharge is among the most prominent younger leaders in the Karnataka Congress. The son of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, he began his political journey through the NSUI and Youth Congress before entering the Assembly from Chittapur in 2013. A three-time MLA, Priyank has handled several key portfolios, including Information Technology, Biotechnology, Rural Development and Social Welfare.
Unlike Yathindra, Priyank Kharge already occupies a significant place in Karnataka politics. He has held ministerial responsibilities and has emerged as one of the party’s most visible faces, particularly among younger voters and urban constituencies. Over the past few years, he has developed a political identity that extends beyond his family name.
That is one reason why many Congress leaders believe Priyank’s claim to a Deputy CM position rests less on lineage and more on his administrative and political experience.
His candidature also helps the Congress on another front: caste representation. Priyank belongs to the Scheduled Castes community, and many within the party argue that any Deputy CM formula must accommodate Dalit representation. Reports indicate that Priyank remains one of the strongest contenders if the high command decides to appoint multiple deputies.
At the same time, elevating Priyank would also reinforce the standing of Mallikarjun Kharge, whose role was central in navigating the leadership transition between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.
Could Both Be Accommodated?
Accommodating both Yathindra and Priyank is increasingly becoming the most discussed possibility in Congress circles. The party is under pressure from multiple communities and factions. In such a scenario, Congress strategists see multiple Deputy CMs as a convenient solution.
Rather than choosing between Siddaramaiah’s camp and Kharge’s camp, the party could theoretically accommodate leaders representing different communities and power centres simultaneously. The names being discussed in various combinations include G Parameshwara, Satish Jarkiholi, MB Patil, Eshwar Khandre, UT Khader and Priyank Kharge, while speculation continues around Yathindra’s possible elevation.
Yet this option carries risks. Every additional Deputy CM creates another claimant to influence within the government. For Shivakumar, who is about to assume the Chief Minister’s office after years of waiting, a crowded power structure could make governance more complicated and reinforce perceptions of competing centres of authority.
Congress’s Dilemma
The real question now how the Congress wants Karnataka to look in the post-Siddaramaiah era. Does the party reward organisational experience and administrative track record? Does it prioritise factional balance? Does it use the Deputy CM posts to accommodate caste demands? Or does it attempt to groom the next generation of leaders by elevating political heirs from two of its most powerful families?
The answer will reveal much about the Congress’s long-term strategy, not just for Karnataka’s next government, but for the party’s future leadership structure as it prepares for the 2028 Assembly election.
For now, it is clear that even before DK Shivakumar takes oath as Chief Minister, the race for the No. 2 position has become Karnataka’s most closely watched political contest.
