A seemingly bureaucratic tussle at Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi has exploded into a political storm, revealing widening cracks within the Congress-led Karnataka government. What began as a heated altercation between aides of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has now snowballed into a full-blown political embarrassment, with the BJP capitalising on the incident to spotlight the deepening factionalism between the two top Congress leaders.
Verbal Spat Turns Physical Threat
The clash reportedly took place on July 22 at Karnataka Bhavan’s administrative office in the capital. The individuals involved were C Mohan Kumar, Assistant Resident Commissioner and Special Duty Officer (SDO) to CM Siddaramaiah, and H Anjaneya, SDO to DCM DK Shivakumar. According to a formal complaint filed by Mr Anjaneya, the situation escalated when Mr Kumar allegedly threatened to beat him with a shoe in front of other officials, including a senior officer named Prameela.
“He threatened to hit me with a shoe in the office chamber in front of everyone,” Anjaneya wrote in his complaint, further cautioning that Kumar should be held responsible if “any accident happens” to him. He also accused Kumar of creating a toxic workplace and referenced past altercations, including an alleged assault on another official named MM Joshi.
Mr Anjaneya has since approached both the Resident Commissioner of Karnataka Bhavan, Imkongla Jamir, and Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, demanding disciplinary action and even criminal proceedings against Mr Kumar.
Power Struggle Out in the Open
The altercation appears to be more than a mere office dispute—it has unveiled the growing rift between CM Siddaramaiah and his ambitious deputy DK Shivakumar. Both men were instrumental in bringing the Congress to power in Karnataka in 2023, but their uneasy alliance has often been marred by behind-the-scenes jockeying for influence. This latest outburst has dragged their aides into the feud, making it public and messier than ever before.
Sources indicate that this isn’t the first time tensions have flared between the two factions at Karnataka Bhavan. Mr Anjaneya, in his complaint, even mentioned seeking a transfer due to the hostile environment allegedly fostered by Kumar’s loyalty to a rival political camp. Mr Kumar, meanwhile, has denied the accusations and has reportedly alleged that Anjaneya has been the source of indiscipline and insubordination, citing previous complaints against him by other staffers.
BJP Pounces on Congress Infighting
Karnataka’s BJP wasted no time in leveraging the episode. R Ashoka, the Leader of Opposition, shared a media report on social media and launched a scathing attack on the Congress high command, particularly targeting Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi.
“AICC Chief Kharge and Rahul Gandhi have completely lost control over Karnataka. This power struggle isn’t just embarrassing, it’s dangerous. The CM and DCM camps are tearing into each other. The Congress high command sits helpless in Delhi, while the state remains adrift,” Ashoka said, describing the Congress-led administration as a “circus” and “anarchy.”
The BJP has painted this incident as symbolic of a larger dysfunction in the Siddaramaiah-Shivakumar partnership. With both leaders having made multiple trips to Delhi for consultations since June 2025, speculation has mounted about ongoing attempts to broker peace between the two camps, possibly with little success.
Congress Faces New Headache
For the Congress, this fresh controversy couldn’t come at a worse time. As the assembly elections approach for southern states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu in 2026, the party had hoped to showcase Karnataka as a model of governance. Instead, open hostilities within its own government have tarnished that image.
Despite public shows of unity, the frequent Delhi visits by Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar in recent months have only fueled speculation of an internal crisis. The recent Bhavan bust-up now confirms that tensions have breached the backroom and spilled into the public domain.
A Government at War With Itself
The Karnataka Bhavan episode lays bare a troubling reality: the Congress government in the state seems more preoccupied with internal one-upmanship than delivering on its promises. The spat between the SDOs is not an isolated event—it is symptomatic of a larger malaise within the Congress leadership. The failure of the party high command to decisively address this power struggle risks derailing the government’s functioning and eroding public confidence. With opposition parties sharpening their attacks and voters watching closely, the Congress must act swiftly if it hopes to retain credibility in the run-up to national elections.