Archive · 17 Sep 2026
Siddaramaiah Statue Reopens Factional Fault Lines in Karnataka Congress
Supporters of former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah put up a large statue in Kalaburagi.
They did this without getting permission, so officials removed it the next morning.
The statue was placed near a road that Chief Minister D K Shivakumar was expected to use.
The incident showed that different groups in the Karnataka Congress are competing for influence.
Shivakumar and Congress leader B K Hariprasad have disagreed over power and party organisation.
Minister Satish Jarkiholi is also seen as an important leader among minorities, OBCs and Dalits.
Raids by the Enforcement Directorate have made his political position less certain.
Congress leaders say Siddaramaiah remains influential, making it harder for a clear successor to emerge.
The party’s national leaders have been meeting state leaders about these tensions.
Supporters installed a nine-foot Siddaramaiah statue overnight in Kalaburagi without official permission.
The Kalaburagi City Corporation and police removed the statue the following morning.
The episode exposed tensions involving Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, Congress chief B K Hariprasad and Siddaramaiah’s supporters.
Enforcement Directorate raids on Minister Satish Jarkiholi have added uncertainty to the party’s succession politics.
Congress central leaders have met state leaders as factions compete for influence and potential future leadership.
- Who
- Supporters of former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, Congress chief B K Hariprasad and other Karnataka Congress factions.
- What
- An unauthorized Siddaramaiah statue was installed and removed, highlighting wider factional tensions inside the Karnataka Congress.
- When
- The statue was installed late Wednesday and removed by Thursday morning; the broader tensions have grown since Shivakumar became chief minister in June.
- Where
- Near a junction in Kalaburagi district, Karnataka, earlier named Siddaramaiah Circle.
- Why
- The episode occurred amid disputes over power, ministerial appointments, party influence and possible future successors to Siddaramaiah.
Congress Factions
Political Rivals and Critics
Power within the state Congress
Congress Factions
The leadership realignment after Siddaramaiah stepped down was intended to prevent power from becoming concentrated in Shivakumar’s hands.
Political Rivals and Critics
The continuing disputes over ministerial appointments and party roles suggest that the realignment has not resolved the Congress’s internal competition.
Control of the AHINDA political space
Congress Factions
Siddaramaiah remains a significant force among minorities, OBCs and Dalits, while allies and potential successors compete to represent that bloc.
Political Rivals and Critics
Satish Jarkiholi’s statement that AHINDA is not anyone’s property was interpreted as a challenge to exclusive claims over the bloc and the future chief ministerial race.
Meaning of the factional tensions
Congress Factions
Congress leaders describe the disagreements as an expected consequence of Siddaramaiah stepping down and an unresolved succession process.
Political Rivals and Critics
Bharatiya Janata Party leaders portray the disputes as evidence that the Congress is a divided house; Hariprasad responded that the BJP should address its own state-unit issues.
- Statue height
- Nine feet
- Installation
- Late Wednesday, by Siddaramaiah supporters
- Removal
- Thursday morning by the Kalaburagi City Corporation with police assistance
- Permission
- Officials said the installation had not received prior permission
- Chief minister
- D K Shivakumar took over as Karnataka chief minister in June
- Congress president
- B K Hariprasad was appointed Karnataka Congress chief after Shivakumar became chief minister
- Additional pressure
- Enforcement Directorate raids targeted Public Works Department Minister Satish Jarkiholi