The Political Feud: Shivakumar vs. Kumaraswamy and the Vokkaliga Rivalry

A meeting that hasn't even happened is already sparking political sparring. Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy . It just underlines how bitter one of the state’s longest-running rivalries still is.

Shivakumar was doing some outreach, a carefully choreographed exercise after taking the CM oath. He called on old political veterans people across party lines. Think former PM HD Deve Gowda , former CM BS Yeddyurappa . Speculation immediately grew that he might also try to meet his old rival, Kumaraswamy.

But before anything could actually happen, Kumaraswamy shut it down. He mocked Shivakumar’s suggestion completely. Accusing the Congress of trying to drive a wedge between the BJP and the JD(S).

“What advice can I give him?” Kumaraswamy said. “He has asked what I achieved as Chief Minister repeatedly. If he comes to meet me, it is only for a photograph op. There is nothing more to it.”

The Union Minister then brought in something sharper. He invoked that Sanskrit phrase: “Ati vinayam dhoorta lakshanam.” Excessive humility is a sign of cunning. A direct swipe at Shivakumar’s recent attempts to reach out to everyone politically. It felt pointed.

This exchange happens right now. In a moment where tensions are already simmering between the ruling Congress and that BJP-JD(S) alliance. All because of the whole mess surrounding former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda not getting that extra Rajya Sabha term.

Still, this latest war of words? It’s just one more chapter in those long political feuds. One of them.

The Deeper Roots of the Rivalry

The rivalry between Shivakumar and Kumaraswamy isn't just about ideas. It’s deeper. Regional. Personal. Dynastic stuff. Both draw their real power from the Vokkaliga heartland of Old Mysuru. That area is central to everything they fight over.

Shivakumar built his base in Sathanur, then Kanakapura. Kumaraswamy's family established its hold in Ramanagara and Channapatna. For almost thirty years now, these two camps have been fighting tooth and nail for supremacy in the region. It’s entrenched.

Every election feels like a contest between them. Whether it’s Ramanagara. Channapatna. Mandya. Kanakapura. Or even Bengaluru Rural. All of it is viewed through the lens of the Shivakumar-Kumaraswamy contest. That shadow hangs over everything local.

It's also about leadership, really. It’s a battle for who gets to lead that dominant Vokkaliga community in Karnataka. Shivakumar is seen as the Congress’s most prominent Vokkaliga face. Kumaraswamy inherited the JD(S)’s traditional support from his father, Deve Gowda. He keeps building that base just enough to keep the Vokkaliga vote safe with the JDS. A careful balance of power.

The feud isn't confined to the two men. It pulls in others too. Shivakumar’s brother, DK Suresh, he clashes constantly electorally with the Gowda family. The friction is real. They fight over votes.

Look at 2024. Kumaraswamy’s brother-in-law, CN Manjunath, beat Suresh in Bengaluru Rural. A bitter election result. That wound still feels raw for the DK brothers. It just added another layer to that old feud between DK and HDK.

And somehow? They've been allies too. Back in 2018, Shivakumar played a huge role in stitching together that Congress-JD(S) coalition. That move got Kumaraswamy into the Chief Minister’s chair. But even that alliance was shaky. It collapsed within a year after some MLAs started rebelling.

Now? The rivalry is back. Resurfacing over everything. From Bengaluru’s development plans to that proposed Bidadi township. And who will lead Old Mysuru politically going forward. Even a simple courtesy call now becomes political ammunition.

The Explosion of Conflict

The bitterness really exploded in May. While Shivakumar was giving a public address in Tumakuru, talking about the Congress government completing three years. He launched this sharp attack on Kumaraswamy. It was public and loud.

Shivakumar brought up the B-Khata to A-Khata property conversion. He said Kumaraswamy had been telling people: “Don’t do it now.” He claimed his government would come into power, and then he would get it done for him. What actually happened?

Then came the quote. Shivakumar quoted Allama Prabhu, that 12th-century Lingayat philosopher and Vachana poet. He said something about needing a horse. “Kotta kudureyannu eralaarada veeranu alla, shooranu alla.” Meaning: one who doesn't know how to ride the horse already given to him, but wants another one he isn’t a warrior or a hero.

The implication was clear. Someone who can't manage what they have, who longs for something else... they lack true courage. They lack strength.

Shivakumar then turned the question back around. He asked Kumaraswamy directly: What exactly did you achieve when you were in power? A real challenge to him.

“You claimed you would turn the tables on our government,” Shivakumar pressed. “What happened? What you couldn't do while in power, you claimed you would do with just 17 MLAs. It didn’t happen.” He finished it with a scathing jab: “Your MLAs never focused on the poor and the underprivileged.”

Kumaraswamy responded to that attack. He accused the Congress of suddenly showing sympathy for his father. Why? Because they were worried about the BJP-JD(S) alliance.

“Congress leaders have developed great concern for Deve Gowda,” he alleged. “They are worried about the alliance. Their intention is obvious to create confusion, drive a wedge between the two parties and weaken the alliance.” He added that those showing tears for Deve Gowda today don't understand how he was treated over those seven decades in public life. That concern isn't real. It’s pure political calculation.

This whole sequence matters because of what happened before. Shivakumar’s visit to Deve Gowda’s residence right before taking the oath felt like a massive signal. A way for him to project himself as someone who could stand outside partisan lines while still connecting with the Gowda family patriarch, especially when parts of the JD(S) were upset with the BJP over that Rajya Sabha issue.

For Shivakumar? That outreach was part of positioning himself as some kind of consensus builder. He’s been meeting leaders across the spectrum Yeddyurappa, Deve Gowda, senior Congress folks. Most recently, he was seen at a family function at former CM DV Sadananda Gowda’s place. Political observers just saw it and Kumaraswamy used that optics to attack his arch rival. It became political ammunition immediately.