Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar met former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at his official residence, Cauvery, in Bengaluru, in a meeting that has created ripples in the state’s political circles, as it happened just after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had met Siddaramaiah and when important organisational and political issues are being discussed within the Karnataka Congress.
As far as we know, Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah discussed several things, including the Karnataka State Cooperative Apex Bank election. The meeting assumes significance as the election for president and vice-president of Apex Bank will be held on September 10.
Apex Bank election has become an important issue in the Congress as leaders and groups are said to be wooing support for their preferred candidates. Several candidates are reportedly in the fray for the top post. Reports say the election is being watched by political parties too.
D.K. Shivakumar Meets Siddaramaiah at Cauvery
Shivakumar’s meeting with Siddaramaiah at Cauvery comes against the backdrop of political transition in Karnataka earlier this year — Siddaramaiah quit as Chief Minister in May and Shivakumar took over as CM in June.
Though both leaders have changed leadership, they are still in touch with each other. Shivakumar had visited Siddaramaiah at Cauvery along with his family in July and termed it as an occasion to seek blessings and guidance from the former Chief Minister. Karnataka government’s Department of Information and Public Relations had also said that during that meeting “contemporary political and administrative issues” were discussed between the two leaders.
The latest meeting, however, takes place against a more politically charged backdrop. With the Apex Bank election looming ahead, candidates and support within the cooperative sector have become more important.
Apex Bank Election Takes Centre Stage
The Karnataka State Cooperative Apex Bank election has become a hot topic within the ruling party. The election has also exposed political camps’ differences over candidates for key positions (according to media reports).
The meeting between Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah therefore could be seen as an attempt to talk about the issue and keep coordination in the party. But the exact details of their conversation have not been made public.
The cooperative sector is politically relevant in Karnataka because cooperative institutions have a large rural presence and are tied to farmers, credit networks and local political structures; control over key cooperative bodies can therefore be organisational as well as political.
Kharge Meeting Adds to Political Interest
Shivakumar’s visit is significant because it comes a day after Mallikarjun Kharge met Siddaramaiah. Congress leadership has been very active in Karnataka politics since the change of guard earlier this year.
The party has been questioned before on coordination within itself and leadership equations in Karnataka. Meetings between senior leaders are therefore being watched closely for signs of how Congress intends to keep unity and manage competing interests.
For now, the focus is likely to be on the Apex Bank election and candidates for key positions. September 10 election could give an indication of coordination between different sections of Karnataka Congress.
What Lies Ahead for Karnataka Congress?
The meeting between Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah comes at a time when the Karnataka Congress is going through a new phase, with the government under Shivakumar taking shape and Siddaramaiah remaining an influential senior leader. Coordination between them could be important for political stability in the party.
The outcome of the Apex Bank election will therefore be watched not only from the cooperative sector point of view but also for its wider political implications.
No one has officially said that the meeting was just on the Apex Bank election, but the timing of it has certainly created political interest. For Congress leadership, balancing between different factions and smooth functioning of government as well as party organisation will be a key challenge.
With the September 10 poll round the corner, all eyes will now be on the candidates, the support they get, and whether Shivakumar-Siddaramaiah talks result in more consensus among ruling party leaders.
