Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar may not have the Chief Minister’s chair, but for now has the next best thing — the Chief Minister’s suite at the newly built Karnataka Bhawan in New Delhi.
Though not quite a change of post, the move has raised more than a few eyebrows, particularly given the undercurrent of speculation about Shivakumar’s long-term political ambitions which he has been very coy about.
As per sources, the suite in question on the fifth floor of the new building was initially allotted to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. However, owing to ventilation issues, Siddaramaiah had reportedly not been using it. Sensing an opportunity, Shivakumar formally wrote to the Chief Minister on July 7, requesting use of the space. Siddaramaiah approved the request and forwarded it to the Protocol Division.
On Tuesday, as Shivakumar was busy meeting journalists and party workers in his newly occupied Chief Minister suite, Siddaramaiah himself — having just arrived in the national capital — quietly made his way to the older Chief Minister quarters in the adjacent building.
While the Congress maintains there is no confusion or change in the leadership in Karnataka, the optics of Shivakumar settling into a suite meant for the Chief Minister have not gone unnoticed. Known for toeing the party line in public, Shivakumar has nonetheless never hidden his aspiration to eventually helm the state. In the delicate choreography of Congress politics, his move into the Chief Minister’s suite is being read by some as yet another well-timed step — one that’s officially about real estate, but unofficially speaks volumes.
For now, Siddaramaiah remains the Chief Minister in both title and floor plan — just not in that particular suite.
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