Karnataka Politics in Turmoil: Leadership Rifts and Power Struggles Dominate 2025
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Karnataka's politics in 2025 were marked by a series of attempts at reconciliation amidst a deep-seated struggle for power. At the center was the uneasy relationship between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy, DK Shivakumar. Despite repeated public shows of unity, the leadership question remained unresolved, with the party's central leadership struggling to intervene. The Congress government's halfway mark was a turning point, with clarity over who would lead the party through the remainder of its term remaining elusive. While Siddaramaiah asserted that he would serve a full term, sections of the party aligned with Shivakumar predicted a leadership transition after 2.5 years. The public nature of the leadership tussle forced repeated interventions by the party's central leadership, who struggled to contain the fallout without appearing to take sides. This uncertainty began to seep into governance, with officials and legislators calibrating their actions amid shifting political signals. The Congress's efforts to project unity, including public breakfast meetings between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, were short-lived. The same unresolved questions resurfaced during the Karnataka legislature's Belagavi session in December, reinforcing the perception that the truce was cosmetic. The year also saw the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) facing turbulence of its own. Vijayapura MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal's attacks on former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and his sons exposed deep fault lines within the party, leading to the expulsion of Yatnal for six years. The BJP's challenges did not end there, with two other senior leaders removed from the party for siding with the Congress. Despite the political churn, the Congress government continued to register milestones, including the presentation of the state budget for a record 16th time and a significant transformation of Bengaluru's civic administration. However, discipline was enforced selectively within the Congress, with cooperation minister KN Rajanna removed from the cabinet after publicly blaming the government for alleged vote theft. The year also saw a significant legal victory for Karnataka in the Cauvery water dispute, with the Supreme Court dismissing Tamil Nadu's plea against the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project. As 2025 drew to a close, the cumulative effect of leadership rivalry and internal party tensions left Karnataka's politics in a state of suspended certainty, with the party's future direction remaining uncertain.
