Karnataka infighting to affect Congress bargaining power and credibility in Southern coalitions

NEW DELHI: Even as it is grappling with a leadership tussle in Karnataka between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D. K. Shivakumarthe Congress is reportedly exploring a power-sharing arrangement with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu.

While the Karnataka dispute underscores the party’s internal bickering, such a prolonged infighting could weaken Congress’s bargaining power and credibility in southern coalitions.

India’s grand old party has also been riddled with factionalism in states like Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, among others, with a cascading effect in subsequent election results.