Riding on Congress’s Social Justice Legacy, former DCM G Parameshwara Emerges as Dark Horse Amid Power Tussle

Bengaluru | Feb 24 : 

The ruling Indian National Congress in Karnataka is facing one of its most delicate leadership moments since coming to power in 2023. 

The party is facing an intensifying leadership dilemma, with the continuing power struggle between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar showing no signs of early resolution.

What reportedly began as a quiet understanding between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar has now evolved into an open contest over succession, tenure, and political dominance.

At the heart of the dispute lies the proposed “50:50 formula”—a rotational chief ministership for half the term each, according to sources. 

While the Shivakumar camp continues to pitch this arrangement, the Siddaramaiah camp remains firm that the veteran leader must complete a full five-year tenure.

Caught in the middle is the Congress high command, wary of destabilising a government that rode to power on a carefully stitched social coalition of backward classes, Dalits, tribals, minorities, and secular voters.

Amid this tug-of-war, a new possibility is gaining momentum: G Parameshwara as a consensus “dark horse” candidate, if Siddaramaiah is persuaded to step aside.

Parameshwara has quietly emerged as a potential consensus candidate —a political “dark horse” who could help the party navigate its internal turbulence, sources say.

The Social Coalition Behind  Congress’s 2023 Victory

Congress’s 2023 landslide—135 seats in the 224-member Assembly—was powered largely by marginalised communities and backward classes.

A broad analysis of the party’s legislative strength indicate that the Congress legislature party includes approximately 25 Scheduled Caste MLAs, 7 Scheduled Tribe MLAs

close to 50 OBC and backward-class MLAs and around 15 minority representatives.

Together, these groups form nearly three-fourths of the party’s strength in the Assembly, reflecting the success of Siddaramaiah’s AHINDA strategy.

Together, SC, ST, OBC, and minority legislators account majority of seats, forming the ideological backbone of the government.

Siddaramaiah’s AHINDA platform (Alpasankhyataru, Hindulidavaru, Dalitaru—Minorities, Backward Classes, Dalits) consolidated this base through:

Gruha Lakshmi

Shakti (free bus travel)

Anna Bhagya

Gruha Jyothi

Yuva Nidhi

These schemes directly targeted economically weaker sections, strengthening Congress’s credibility among marginalised voters.

Siddaramaiah vs Shivakumar: A Battle of Ideology and Organisation

The leadership contest reflects two distinct power centres:

Siddaramaiah Camp

* Backed by AHINDA groups

* Strong among OBCs, SCs, minorities

* Seen as ideological custodian of social justice

* Projects himself as indispensable to welfare politics

Shivakumar Camp

* Strong Vokkaliga base

* Organisational powerhouse

* Fund-raiser and crisis manager

* Key architect of Congress revival in 2018–23

Even as Shivakumar is a top Vokkaliga leader in the party, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda is regarded as the community’s undisputed leader.

While Shivakumar commands party machinery, Siddaramaiah controls the narrative of governance and welfare. Neither appears willing to concede ground easily.

Parameshwara: The Dark Horse Emerges

Former Deputy CM G Parameshwara, a senior Dalit leader and long-time party organiser, is increasingly being viewed as a compromise candidate.

His strengths include:

*Acceptability across factions

*Long organisational experience

*Minimal baggage of factional politics

*Strong Dalit support base

*Good rapport with national leadership

With Dalit organisations, intellectuals, and civil society voices demanding “representation at the top,” Parameshwara, who also carries the administrative legacy of former CM SM Krishna, has gained traction quietly within party circles.

Importantly, several Lingayat MLAs from Central and North Karnataka are said to be open to backing him if the leadership is restructured—seeing him as a neutral figure who could stabilise the government.

The ‘Dalit CM’ Debate

Congress rose to power on the promise of social equity. Yet, Karnataka has never had a Dalit Chief Minister in its post-Independence history. 

The growing call for a Dalit Chief Minister has placed Congress in a moral and political quandary.

Elevating Parameshwara would mark the first time in Karnataka’s history that a Dalit leader occupies the state’s top post. Party strategists believe such a move could:

* Create a historic first in Karnataka

* Reinforce Congress’s social justice credentials

* Consolidate Dalit and tribal voters

* Counter BJP’s Hindutva narrative with social inclusion

* Strengthen Congress nationally among marginalised groups

There is also growing talk that Siddaramaiah, if persuaded to step aside, may insist that his successor must come from SC, ST, or backward classes—rather than from dominant castes.

Such a move would protect Siddaramaiah's ideological legacy.

Kharge Factor: Silent Support, Strategic Distance

AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, himself a towering Dalit leader from Karnataka, remains central to this debate.

However, Kharge has consistently ruled himself out of state leadership, citing age, national responsibility, and the need to focus on building Congress nationally.

Yet, observers believe his moral authority could quietly influence a Dalit leadership transition if consensus emerges.

Congress and Dalit CMs: Lessons from Other States

Over the past five decades, Congress has appointed Dalit Chief Ministers in several states. Some include,

* Jagannath Pahadia (Rajasthan)

* Damodaram Sanjivayya (Andhra Pradesh)

* Sushil Kumar Shinde (Maharashtra)

* Bhola Paswan Shastri (Bihar)

In many cases, these leaders helped expand Congress’s base among marginalised voters and project a progressive image.

A similar move in Karnataka could:

* Re-energise core voters

* Neutralise BJP’s social engineering

* Create a national political narrative

* Attract first-time and youth voters

Congress in Karnataka: A History of Power Balancing

Since Independence, Congress has balanced leadership between dominant castes and backward communities:

Kengal Hanumanthaiah

Nijalingappa

Veerendra Patil

Veerappa Moily 

Dharam Singh

Siddaramaiah

Each phase reflected social realities of the time. The present phase, marked by heightened identity politics, may now demand a new symbolic leap.

Possible Scenarios Ahead

1. Status Quo Continues

Siddaramaiah completes full term; Shivakumar waits. Risk: simmering discontent.

2. Rotational Formula

Power-sharing mid-term. Risk: administrative instability.

3. Consensus Dalit CM

Parameshwara emerges as compromise. Advantage: unity + historic symbolism.

4. High Command Intervention

Delhi imposes solution. Risk: local backlash.

Among these, Scenario 3 appears increasingly attractive to the leadership—if factional egos can be managed.

The Political Stakes

For Congress, the stakes are enormous:

* 2028 Assembly elections

* National opposition leadership

* Retaining AHINDA base

* Preventing BJP resurgence

* Avoiding internal split

* A misstep could undo the party’s hard-won revival.

The Siddaramaiah–Shivakumar tussle is no longer just about personalities. It is about Congress’s ideological direction in Karnataka.

Choosing Parameshwara would mean choosing symbolism over supremacy, inclusion over factionalism, and legacy over personal ambition.

If Congress dares to take that path, it may not only resolve its internal crisis—but also rewrite Karnataka’s political history.

Whether the party seizes this moment or squanders it remains the defining question of its current regime.