D.K. Shivakumar: Congress troubleshooter poised to become Chief Minister of Karnataka
For DK Shivakumar, Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka and president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), who is widely considered to be the chief troubleshooter of the Congress party, becoming the Chief Minister is a dream that is now on the verge of coming true. He is expected to be sworn in as Prime Minister in the coming days.
The 64-year-old leader had set his sights on the state’s top post soon after the Congress came back to power in the 2023 Assembly elections. His closeness to the party’s central leadership, especially Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, is believed to have strengthened his claim after the protracted power struggle with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over the last three years.
The eight-time MLA, who has been heading KPCC since 2020, has emerged as one of the richest politicians in Karnataka, whose family assets are 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.
organizational skills
Born in a humble agrarian Vokkaliga family, his rise in Karnataka politics was enabled by relentless public mobilization, organizational skills and the support of his younger brother, former MP DK Suresh.
He led the Congress campaign during the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections despite facing investigations by several agencies, including the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Income Tax Department and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in connection with 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 attributed it to efforts to protect party legislators after the fragmented 2018 Karnataka Assembly resolution that eventually allowed the Congress and JD(S) to form a coalition government and keep the BJP out of power even as it emerged as the single largest party.
He was released on bail after spending 50 days in Delhi’s Tihar Jail. After returning to Bengaluru, Congress leaders staged a grand publicity tour at the airport, portraying his arrest as an ‘insult’ to the Vokkaliga community and boosting his image as a regional strongman with significant influence in the Old Mysore region.
young participant
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 HD Deve Gowda in the old Sathanur Assembly constituency. Although he lost by nearly 15,000 votes, the campaign earned him recognition within the Congress party.
He won from Sathanur in the 1989 Assembly elections as the Congress came back to power in Karnataka. At the age of 30, he became the Minister in Charge of Prisons in S. Bangarappa’s Cabinet between 1991-92. He has not lost any elections since then.
Rivalry with HD Deve Gowda family
His rivalry with the Deve Gowda family would shape much of his political career over the next decade, as the Congress sought to project a younger Vokkaliga leader alongside former Prime Minister SM Krishna to counter Mr Deve Gowda’s influence.
In 1999, Mr. Shivakumar defeated Mr. Deve Gowda’s son HD Kumaraswamy in Sathanur constituency and earned the reputation as a ‘giant killer’. He cemented his reputation 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.
This victory made him a dominant political force in the Bengaluru Rural region and intensified his rivalry with Mr. Kumaraswamy, who has built up his political base in the same region.
Mr. Shivakumar rose rapidly through the ranks, handling key portfolios such as Urban Development and Cooperation during the SM Krishna-led Congress government (1999-2004). Political observers often describe this period as his boom phase.
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 removed both SM Krishna and Mr. Shivakumar from positions of power.
When the Congress came back to power in 2013, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah appointed Mr. Shivakumar to the Cabinet, albeit after initial hesitations. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, despite a nationwide BJP wave, Mr. Shivakumar secured the victory of his brother DK Suresh from Bengaluru Rural.
Congress’ man for all seasons
His closeness to the Congress’ top commanders and his reputation for meticulous political management have made him the party’s go-to strategist during crises. In 2017, he hosted Congress MLAs from Gujarat at a resort in Bengaluru to ensure Ahmed Patel’s victory in the Rajya Sabha elections. Income Tax officials later raided the facility amid tensions.
He had previously played 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 forming the Congress-JD(S) coalition government led by Mr Kumaraswamy, putting aside years of political enmity with the Deve Gowda family. However, efforts to retain the coalition failed after several Congress and JD(S) legislators defected to the BJP, paving the way for the formation of the BJP government.
open ambition
Unlike in the past, in 2023, Mr. Shivakumar has openly declared his desire to become the Prime Minister. In recent years, he has frequently visited temples across the country, seeking divine blessings, and has consistently maintained that the decision rests with the Congress high command.
It was published – 28 May 2026 16:10 IST
