Book Review: The Biography Of D.K. Shivakumar, Congress's Crisis Manager And Karnataka's Kingmaker

Had you examined D.K. Shivakumar’s face for a hint of irony when the Congress dithered for weeks over appointing him the chief minister of Karnataka, you would have found it in his wry smile. Here was a man, regarded as a troubleshooter for getting the party out of the woods on many occasions, unable to help himself, being made to wait for a long period that was no less than an ordeal.

TV cameras chased him for months, looking for a comment or a gesture betraying defiance amid rumours, fanned by rivals, that he may float a regional outfit. A pragmatic politician, he endured the delay and never threatened to rock the boat. In the Congress’s scheme of things, he had been assured the highest political job exactly two-and-a-half years after the party’s handsome victory in the 2023 assembly elections.

But weeks morphed into months as CM Siddaramaiah refused to step down after the halfway mark, first requesting to remain in office until he became the longest-serving CM of the southern state and later digging his heels in.

It’s well-known that he enjoyed the full backing of the Gandhi family, and yet it took developments in other states to force the hand of the oldest national party before DKShi, as his supporters call him, got the top job.

Author Rasheed Kidwai's latest book, D.K. Shivakumar, Congress’s crisis manager, Karnataka’s kingmaker [Hachette Books India], is an interesting biography of an ambitious regional satrap. With inside knowledge of decision-making in Congress, he has penned a gripping account of the journey of the Congress leader endowed with organisational skills and the ability to accommodate contrarian views. It brings out his contradictions, struggles, failures and triumphs.

The richest chief minister in the country, with declared assets of Rs 1400 crore, spent nearly 50 days in jail in 2019 after the Enforcement Directorate arrested him in a money-laundering case. The time in jail didn’t affect his political career or popularity because he succeeded in giving the impression that the central agency was doing the ruling dispensation’s bidding.

A Vokkaliga, the second most dominant landowning caste after Lingayats, DKS’s political influence was not expected to extend outside Karnataka. And yet, he demonstrated his ability to manage crises in other states by shielding party legislators from succumbing to inducements and poaching, a phenomenon treated as par for the course in political circles.

On his part, to use a cricket phrase, Kidwai is endowed with a sense of timing. It’s not easy to come out with a book within weeks of someone achieving a milestone. Maybe the book was already in the works in anticipation of the rotational chief ministerial formula taking effect as scheduled.

Full of anecdotes, the book brings out many fascinating aspects of the firebrand leader, whom some call a strategist and some a strongman. Many even call him the Amit Shah of the Congress: whether the compliment is left-handed or otherwise depends on the context and also on the political affiliation of who’s complimenting!

The book sheds light on his personal convictions and likes and dislikes through episodes, like the one involving his daughter. She wanted to study in a college other than the one owned by the family. DKS put his foot down, saying it would amount to an insult. Despite good marks, she was disheartened because her achievement was credited to her father being the college chairman. She wanted to discontinue, but he convinced her to stay on, saying she should learn to deal with criticism.

A firm believer in astrology, DKS insists that an astrologer had predicted his wife’s name and the circumstances in which the match would happen. He chose her after rejecting many girls in one single day! Incidentally, his wife’s family was opposed to the marriage because he was a politician. His astrologer Bellur Dwarkanath claimed that he had predicted 40 years ago that DKS would lead the state because he had strong stars.

The book explains the complex politics of Karnataka, the caste dynamics shaped by the Vokkaligas and Lingayats and how different parties have used them to their advantage or failed while detailing DKS’s journey from college days.

He has earned the moniker 'Bande' (rock) of Kanakapura for winning it eight times. The constituency was previously called Sathanur. DKS contested his maiden election against former prime minister H D Deve Gowda and lost. But the budding leader was not disheartened. His first victory came at 27, and he became minister at 30. The first portfolio was Jail. The book is silent on what he reflected on during his time in Tihar Jail, where he spent weeks. Sonia Gandhi had visited him there.

One of the interesting events of his political journey took place in August 2025 when he recited the RSS anthem Namaste Sada Vatsale Matrubhume in the state assembly. He had previously admitted to attending RSS shakhas as a schoolboy in Bengaluru. The recital of the RSS anthem by the then deputy CM caused a flutter in political circles. He later explained that "his connection to Congress was not transactional but rooted in faith, loyalty and a lifetime of ideological commitment dating to college days".

The book has many nuggets for readers with a bent for trivia. He became a graduate only after he became a minister. He said he was happier with his academic achievement. Once in school, he got a transfer certificate for neglecting his studies. He invited the same man to set up an education trust.

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