Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is poised to create history in Karnataka by becoming the state's longest-serving chief minister. On Wednesday, he will surpass the previous record held by D Devaraj Urs, having completed 2,972 days in office. However, a significant milestone remains untouched: no chief minister in Karnataka has ever completed a full decade, or ten years, in the top post.
The Elusive Decade: Karnataka's Unique Political Landscape
This absence of a decade-long chief minister sets Karnataka apart from many other Indian states. Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh are the only major states without a CM serving for ten continuous years. Even Uttar Pradesh's current Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath, has already served for eight years and 293 days, putting him closer to the mark than any of his Karnataka counterparts.
Congress state vice-president BL Shankar explained this phenomenon by pointing to Karnataka's distinct political culture. He stated that unlike states dominated by regional parties with strong personality cults, Karnataka has largely been governed by national parties. "The brass of national parties tend to install chief ministers based on the prevailing political scenario at the national level and the party's internal dynamics," Shankar remarked.
High Command Politics and Historical Precedents
The history of Karnataka's chief ministerial tenures is marked by changes often dictated by party high commands. The Congress party, for instance, replaced D Devaraj Urs with R Gundu Rao in 1980, Veerendra Patil in 1989, and S Bangarappa in 1992. Similarly, the BJP replaced BS Yediyurappa twice, in 2011 and 2022, and Sadananda Gowda in 2013.
Former BJP Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who succeeded Sadananda Gowda, highlighted the influence of central leadership. "In a national party, one must abide by the diktat of the central brass. Not that a national party tends to change CMs at will. There are examples of CMs from both BJP and Congress who have served for more than 10 years," Shettar noted.
Even HD Deve Gowda's term was cut short at two-and-a-half years in 1996 when he moved to national politics to become the Prime Minister of India.
Can Siddaramaiah Break the 10-Year Jinx?
Siddaramaiah now has a theoretical chance to become the first Karnataka CM to reach the ten-year mark. This would require him to complete a second consecutive five-year term, which would end in May 2028. However, this prospect is clouded by internal party dynamics.
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar is also seeking the top post, citing an unwritten transition pact within the Congress party. This internal competition has sparked a fresh debate on the merits of long versus short tenures for chief ministers. The final decision rests with the Congress high command, illustrating the very dynamic that has historically prevented long tenures in the state.
In contrast, several neighbouring and other states have seen remarkably long-serving chief ministers. The list includes:
- N Chandrababu Naidu (Andhra Pradesh): 15 years, 87 days
- Jayalalithaa (Tamil Nadu): 14 years, 124 days
- M Karunanidhi (Tamil Nadu): 10 years, 362 days
- EK Nayanar (Kerala): 10 years, 355 days
- MG Ramachandran (Tamil Nadu): 10 years, 55 days
Nationally, at least 45 chief ministers from other states have crossed the ten-year mark. Notable long-serving CMs include Pawan Chamling of Sikkim (24 years, 165 days), Naveen Patnaik of Odisha (24 years, 265 days), and within national parties, Congress's Virbhadra Singh (21 years, 13 days) and BJP's Shivraj Singh Chouhan (16 years, 284 days).
As Siddaramaiah prepares to set a new record for Karnataka, the larger question of whether the state's political ecosystem will ever allow a decade-long reign remains unanswered, hinging on the complex interplay of local aspirations and national party control.
