For Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D.K. Shivakumar, widely regarded as the Congress party’s chief trouble-shooter, becoming Chief Minister is a dream now on the verge of fulfilment. He is expected to be sworn in as Chief Minister in the coming days.
The 64-year-old leader had set his sights on the State’s top post soon after the Congress returned to power in the 2023 Assembly elections. His proximity to the party’s central leadership, particularly Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, is believed to have strengthened his claim after a prolonged power struggle with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over the last three years.
The eight-time MLA, who has headed the KPCC since 2020, has emerged as one of Karnataka’s wealthiest politicians, with family assets estimated at over ₹1,400 crore. Popularly known as ‘DK’ or ‘DKShi’, he built substantial wealth after entering the Assembly in 1989 through investments in educational institutions and business ventures.
Organisational skills
Born into a modest agrarian Vokkaliga family, his rise in Karnataka politics has been driven by relentless grassroots mobilisation, organisational skills, and the support of his younger brother, former MP D.K. Suresh.
He led the Congress campaign during the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections despite facing investigations by multiple agencies, including the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the Income Tax Department, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in connection with alleged money laundering and tax evasion cases.
Mr. Shivakumar was arrested by the ED in 2019 in a money laundering case. The Congress alleged that the arrest was politically motivated and linked it to his efforts in safeguarding party legislators after the fractured 2018 Karnataka Assembly verdict, which eventually enabled the Congress and the JD(S) to form a coalition government, and keep the BJP out of power despite it emerging as the single largest party.
After spending 50 days in Delhi’s Tihar Jail, he was granted bail. Upon his return to Bengaluru, Congress leaders organised a massive roadshow from the airport, portraying his arrest as an ‘insult’ to the Vokkaliga community, and reinforcing his image as a regional strongman with significant influence in the Old Mysore region.
Young entrant
Mr. Shivakumar’s political rise began with a bold gamble in 1985 when, as a relatively unknown 23-year-old, he contested against former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda in the erstwhile Sathanur Assembly constituency. Though he lost by nearly 15,000 votes, the campaign earned him recognition within the Congress party.
In the 1989 Assembly elections, he won from Sathanur as the Congress returned to power in Karnataka. At the age of 30, he became Minister for Prisons in the S. Bangarappa Cabinet during 1991–92. Since then, he has not lost an election.
Rivalry with H.D. Deve Gowda family
His rivalry with the Deve Gowda family would shape much of his political career over the following decade, as the Congress sought to project a younger Vokkaliga leader, alongside former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna, to counter Mr. Deve Gowda’s influence.
In 1999, Mr. Shivakumar defeated H.D. Kumaraswamy, son of Mr. Deve Gowda, in the Sathanur constituency, and acquired the reputation of a ‘giant killer’. He consolidated his stature in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections by playing a key role in helping Congress candidate and television journalist Tejaswini Gowda defeat Mr. Deve Gowda in the then Kanakapura constituency.
That victory established him as a dominant political force in Bengaluru Rural district, and intensified his rivalry with Mr. Kumaraswamy, who also built his political base in the same region.
Mr. Shivakumar rose rapidly during the S.M. Krishna-led Congress government (1999–2004), handling key portfolios such as Urban Development and Cooperation. Political observers often describe this period as the phase of his meteoric rise.
Although the Congress lost the subsequent Assembly elections, Mr. Shivakumar retained his seat. In the Dharam Singh-led Congress–JD(S) coalition government (2004–05), the Deve Gowda camp is believed to have sidelined both S.M. Krishna and Mr. Shivakumar from positions of power.
When the Congress returned to power in 2013, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah inducted Mr. Shivakumar into the Cabinet, albeit after initial hesitation. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, despite the BJP wave across the country, Mr. Shivakumar ensured the victory of his brother D.K. Suresh from Bengaluru Rural.
Congress’ man for all seasons
His proximity to the Congress high command and his reputation for meticulous political management made him the party’s go-to strategist during crises. In 2017, he famously housed Congress MLAs from Gujarat at a Bengaluru resort to ensure the victory of Ahmed Patel in the Rajya Sabha elections. Income Tax officials later raided the resort during the standoff.
He had earlier performed a similar role in 2002 when Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh faced a no-confidence motion.
Following the fractured verdict in the 2018 Karnataka Assembly elections, Mr. Shivakumar played a central role in forging the Congress–JD(S) coalition government led by Mr. Kumaraswamy, setting aside years of political hostility with the Deve Gowda family. However, his efforts to preserve the coalition failed after several Congress and JD(S) legislators defected to the BJP, paving the way for the BJP government’s formation.
Open ambition
Unlike in the past, in 2023 Mr. Shivakumar has openly declared his ambition to become Chief Minister. In recent years, he has frequently visited temples across the country seeking divine blessings, while consistently maintaining that the decision rests with the Congress high command. (EOM)
Published – May 28, 2026 04:10 pm IST
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