Dalit as Karnataka Chief Minister

Recent political developments hint at the possibility of a numerically-strong Dalit community staking its claim for the Chief Minister’s post whoever gets a majority in the 2023 Assembly polls, writes Muralidhara Khajane

Even as political parties in Karnataka are preparing for the upcoming Assembly election, a clamour for the Dalit chief minister has been growing louder in the State. In the political history of Karnataka, it is proved time and again that vociferous demand for a Dalit chief minister will fizzle out abruptly and the coveted post will remain elusive for Dalits.

All the hue and cry will be used as a diversionary tactic by vested interests of the powerful caste groups in the political parties. Hence such as demand cannot be construed as sincere or conscious that stems from real concern for Dalit political empowerment.

A closer look at the recent political developments in Karnataka Congress points at the shrill voice of the numerically strong Dalit community (leaked findings of the caste census show that Dalits account for 19.5% of the State’s population) demanding CM’s post.

A couple of weeks ago, after Congress fielded a second candidate for Rajya Sabha polls that was held on June 10, Janata Dal (Secular) supremo and former Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda had approached the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and a senior Congress leader from Karnataka M. Mallikarjuna Kharge, who is a Dalit, with a plea to support the JD (S) candidate. Claimed to be secular, JD (S) is reliably learnt to have promised Kharge that the party would back his candidature for the chief minister’s post if the political situation prompts a coalition government in Karnataka.

It is to be noted that Gowda, time and again, reiterated that he had favoured Kharge for the post of Chief Minister. He claimed to have suggested Kharge’s name for the post, in view of the said deteriorating health condition of his son H D Kumaraswamy in 2018. But Gowda asserted that Congress’s high command was firm on making Kumaraswamy the chief minister. Gowda had claimed to have favoured Kharge over Dharam Singh even when Congress formed a coalition government with JD (S) in 2004.

Sensing possible danger to their ambitions of becoming CMs, Congress leaders Siddaramaiah (Leader of AHINDA group - minority communities, backward classes and Dalits) and D K Shivakumar (Vokkaliga leader), who are at loggerheads over the leadership issue in recent days, had patched up their differences and ensured that Kharge should not succeed in his attempt to support JD (S).

They had sent a clear indication to the high command that the state unit is firm on supporting party candidate Mansoor Ali Khan for the Rajya Sabha seat. Both of them played the minority card to meet their political ends. But sources close to Kharge clarified that never did he claim his right over the CM’s post by playing the Dalit card.

They said he conveyed JD(S) demand to the party high command in the larger political interest of the country and was looking forward to the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Kharge, in fact, has a record of sorts, as he missed the CM’s post twice, but has never raised the banner of revolt even once.

Narayanaswamy’s salvo

The Dalit chief minister issue, which was pushed under the carpet by BJP, JD (S) and Congress, popped up recently when Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment A. Narayanaswamy stated that no party is committed to ensuring a Dait chief minister. “No party has a commitment towards the assurance given in this regard (Dalit CM) and it has been a matter of publicity. The statements are confined to making promises during the elections for political gains. Once elections are over, the statement is conveniently forgotten”.

After making the politically sensitive statement, Narayanaswamy pointed at how Kharge was sidelined by Congress in 2004 and 2018. He also referred to senior Congress leader G Parameshwara, who according to him had the opportunity to become the chief minister and explained how he (Parameshwar) was defeated by his own party men in Koratagere.

Similarly, dubbing JD (S)’s claim of making a Dalit Chief Minister of Karnataka if it comes back to power, as just an ‘eye wash’, the Union Minister sought to know, why JD (S) dethroned its prominent Dalit leader K Kumaraswamy from the highest post of party’s state president?

Fate of Dalit leaders in BJP

The situation is no different in the BJP, which is in the strong grip of dominant Lingayat, Vokkaliga and Sanatan Hundutva communities. Former chief ministers B S Yeddyurappa, Jagadish Shettar, Basavaraja Bommai hail from Lingayat community while Sadananda Gowda hails from the Vokkaliga community.

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