“Karnataka Deserves Better Than This Circus”: LoP R. Ashoka Slams Congress Leadership as Siddaramaiah-Shivakumar Rift Deepens

Bengaluru: The political crisis within the Karnataka Congress has intensified, with Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, R. Ashoka, launching a scathing attack on the party’s central and state leadership. In a sharply worded tweet, Ashoka criticized the ongoing power tussle between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar, calling it a “public slugfest” that has turned the state into a governance vacuum.

“The Congress high command—Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi—have completely lost control over Karnataka,” Ashoka wrote, referencing reports of escalating tensions and heated arguments between the CM and DCM even at Karnataka Bhavan in Delhi. He further stated that the intra-party rivalry had moved from behind-the-scenes maneuvers to open threats and political brinkmanship.

“This power struggle isn’t just embarrassing, it’s dangerous. Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar camps are tearing into each other, settling scores round after round,” Ashoka added. He alleged that while the Congress high command in Delhi watches silently, Karnataka is being pushed toward administrative paralysis.

The friction between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar—long regarded as rival power centers in Karnataka Congress—has recently spilled into public view, with veiled remarks and separate political movements hinting at widening cracks. The debate over leadership succession, portfolio decisions, and cabinet reshuffles have only added fuel to the fire.

Ashoka questioned how a party entangled in such internal conflict could be expected to run the state effectively. “Karnataka deserves better than this circus and anarchy,” he concluded.