Union minister HD Kumaraswamy had piled pressure on the Congress govt by taking on chief minister DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru: With chief minister DK Shivakumar already readying Congress machinery for the 2028 assembly polls, the BJP-JD(S) alliance is yet to settle a basic question: who will take him on? Satish Jarkiholi, who earlier hinted at CM aspirations after 2028, has now said he can afford to wait and has backed Shivakumar to lead. “BJP will soon have to decide who will lead the party in 2028 and whether it is ready to let an ally lead the battle and accept the consequences. It should not repeat the 2023 mistake of picking a face without putting much thought into it.
Political strategist MB Maramkal said the choice is likely to go beyond personalities. It could make an announcement possibly next month,” he said. Increasingly, the answer appears to be HD Kumaraswamy of JD(S), though BJP has not committed to projecting him as the NDA ’s CM candidate. BJP, the principal opposition with a substantial organisational network, is still struggling to find an acceptable face with pan-Karnataka appeal. BY Vijayendra, V Somanna, Jagadish Shettar, Shobha Karandlaje and Aravind Bellad are among names doing the rounds, but party brass is keeping cards close to its chest. Supporters see an obvious advantage in Kumaraswamy: a former CM, Union minister and prominent Vokkaliga face, with a long-standing Old Mysuru base, who is willing to take on Shivakumar head-on. He also wields political clout in Bengaluru South district, Shivakumar’s home district. However, BJP functionaries insist the party should lead the alliance. Handing the CM projection to a JD(S) face could raise questions within BJP about its own claim to lead the next govt. Geography is another hurdle. Kumaraswamy’s base is Old Mysuru, while BJP needs a campaign that can reach coastal Karnataka, Kittur Karnataka, Kalyana Karnataka, Bengaluru and central Karnataka. Congress, meanwhile, is gaining from the opposition’s lack of a settled formula. Former CM Siddaramaiah remains a potent force, but Shivakumar holds the edge through incumbency and control over party machinery. Party brass is already eliciting feedback from various quarters and checking backgrounds and credibility of aspirants.