Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy, DK Shivakumar, shared a tense yet symbolic 'power breakfast' at Shivakumar's residence on Tuesday, marking the second such meeting in three days aimed at defusing their escalating power tussle within the Congress party. The menu featured steamed idlis, a spicy country-style chicken curry known as Nati chicken, and filter coffee—with a dash of milk for the Chief Minister—offering a culinary nod to Karnataka's rustic flavours amid high-stakes political manoeuvring. This gathering follows a similar session at Siddaramaiah's home on Saturday, where upma, kesari, and coffee were on offer, as the party's central leadership desperately seeks to broker a truce before internal divisions derail governance ahead of the 2028 Assembly elections.

At the heart of the discord is an alleged power-sharing pact struck in the euphoric aftermath of Congress's stunning 2023 victory in Karnataka, which swept away the BJP's one-year rule. The informal deal reportedly promised each leader 2.5 years at the helm, with Siddaramaiah taking the first half and Shivakumar slated to assume the Chief Minister's post from November 2025. However, as the midpoint arrived last month without any transition, Shivakumar has ramped up pressure through subtle barbs about honouring commitments and mobilising a faction of MLAs to lobby in Delhi. Siddaramaiah, a veteran socialist and two-time CM, has countered by emphasising his electoral mandate and the party's high command's initial endorsement, turning what began as whispers into a full-blown crisis that threatens Congress's southern stronghold.

The breakfast diplomacy underscores the Congress high command's frantic intervention, with party president Mallikarjun Kharge reportedly issuing a stern directive on Monday to uphold the original agreement. Sources close to the leadership revealed Kharge's frustration, stating he reminded the duo that "the word was given in my presence... and it should be honoured. Otherwise, I have no credibility in my own state." This marks Kharge's second such push; last week, he urged a swift resolution before the Winter Session of Parliament to avoid embarrassing headlines. The Karnataka unit, already reeling from the 2024 Lok Sabha drubbing, where it won only nine of 28 seats, cannot afford further infighting, especially with the BJP eyeing a comeback under state opposition leader BY Vijayendra.

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Shivakumar, a savvy Vokkaliga strongman and Bengaluru's development czar, has positioned himself as the aggrieved partner, leveraging his organisational clout and reported proximity to Rahul Gandhi to amplify demands for equity. His recent Delhi darshan with supportive legislators was seen as a bold gambit, prompting accusations of indiscipline from Siddaramaiah's camp, which includes influential backward-class legislators. Yet, both leaders share a common foe in the BJP, having orchestrated Congress's revival after the 2019 debacle through grassroots mobilisation and anti-incumbency against BS Yediyurappa's government.

As the duo discussed over plates of Nati chicken—a Coorg-origin dish symbolising bold, fiery resolutions—the air was thick with implications for Congress's national narrative. A prolonged stalemate could embolden defectors, erode public trust in the government's welfare schemes like Gruha Jyothi and Anna Bhagya, and hand ammunition to PM Modi's narrative of dynastic instability in opposition ranks. Analysts note that Karnataka remains Congress's only southern bastion post-2024, making stability imperative for the party's 2028 ambitions and beyond.

With the Winter Session convening soon, the high command's patience is wearing thin, and whispers of a mediated formula—perhaps an early cabinet reshuffle or enhanced deputy powers for Shivakumar—circulate in party corridors. Tuesday's breakfast may have been a step toward reconciliation, but in Karnataka's fractious politics, where caste alliances and personal ambitions collide, lasting peace will require more than shared idlis; it demands enforceable high-command arbitration to salvage Congress's fragile unity.

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