Bengaluru: In a fresh wrinkle for CM-elect DK Shivakumar, outgoing CM Siddaramaiah has reportedly proposed forming a coordination committee to act as a bridge between Congress and the govt, reopening a debate over an ongoing tussle in Karnataka Congress.While the proposal is yet to receive approval from the party high command, it places brass in a delicate position. Siddaramaiah remains the party’s tallest mass leader in Karnataka and cannot be politically sidelined, but the transition to Shivakumar is intended to be clear and decisive. However, a committee headed by Siddaramaiah could give him a formal role in governance and may fuel perceptions of dual power centres.MN Patil, a political analyst, said the committee’s impact would depend on its powers. “If it is headed by Siddaramaiah and given substantial authority, it could emerge as a parallel decision-making structure. The challenge for Congress will be to ensure clarity on who exercises executive authority,” Patil said.Siddaramaiah had chaired a coordination and monitoring committee when the Congress-JD(S) coalition govt, headed by chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, was at the helm in the state in 2018-19. The coalition govt eventually collapsed in July 2019 after 16 MLAs resigned, reducing it to a minority.However, JD(S) functionaries, including former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy, accused Siddaramaiah of undermining the coalition, allegations he has consistently denied. Congress functionaries close to Siddaramaiah insist the govt fell not because of the former CM or sabotage, but because of defections encouraged by BJP.A senior functionary, who backed the proposal of a coordination committee, said the panel would improve coordination between the party and govt so that Shivakumar continues all the good work of his predecessor. He insisted it was not intended to interfere with the CM’s functioning. However, functionaries aligned with Shivakumar privately acknowledge concerns that an ill-defined structure could complicate governance.A senior Congress MLA from Tumakuru opposed the idea, saying the party’s priority should be stability after a hard-fought leadership transition. “The focus should be on strengthening the new CM rather than creating additional centres of authority,” he said.Political commentator Vishwas Shetty said the success of any such arrangement will depend entirely on its mandate. “If it functions as a consultative body, it can help manage internal differences. But if it begins exercising oversight over govt decisions, comparisons with the 2018-19 coalition period will be inevitable,” he said.Shetty said the Congress high command may ultimately opt for an informal coordination mechanism or a limited advisory panel, allowing Siddaramaiah to remain politically relevant without diluting Shivakumar’s authority.
