How DK Shivakumar became face of resort politics, saved governments from collapsing

As Karnataka moves towards a leadership transition with DK Shivakumar set to become the next chief minister, an old political episode from Maharashtra in 2002 has once again returned to focus.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday announced that he would step down from the top post, clearing the way for Shivakumar to take over as Karnataka’s next chief minister after months of speculation over a power-sharing arrangement within the Congress.

Popularly known as DKS in Karnataka politics, Shivakumar has long served as the Congress’s all-weather crisis manager. From safeguarding party legislators during trust-vote battles to negotiating alliances and holding together fragile coalitions, he built a reputation as the leader the party high command could rely on during moments of political instability. His elevation as chief minister is now being seen within the Congress as both a political reward and the culmination of decades of organisational loyalty.

The origins of Shivakumar’s image as a political troubleshooter can be traced back to June 2002, when the Congress-NCP government in Maharashtra faced a serious threat after dissidence and fears of defections destabilised the administration led by then chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.

The Congress leadership turned to Shivakumar, then a young Karnataka minister and close aide of chief minister S M Krishna, who was already known within the party for his organisational skills and ability to manage legislators during crises.

According to reports from the time, around 40 Congress MLAs from Maharashtra were flown to Bengaluru and housed at a luxury resort on the outskirts of the city to prevent poaching attempts by rival parties ahead of a crucial floor test. Krishna entrusted the responsibility of keeping the legislators together and safe to his Urban Development Minister, Shivakumar.

Shivakumar shifted the MLAs to the Eagleton Resort near Bengaluru, where they stayed for nearly a week under tight coordination. The resort is linked to Shivakumar and his family.

On the day of the trust vote, he personally supervised their return to Mumbai, ensuring that the legislators reached the Assembly intact for the confidence motion. The Deshmukh government eventually survived the floor test, turning the operation into one of the earliest high-profile examples of “resort politics” in India.

The dramatic episode catapulted Shivakumar into the national spotlight and cemented his image within the Congress as a dependable political troubleshooter capable of handling high-stakes crises. The operation also strengthened his relationship with the Gandhi family — a connection that would play a crucial role in his rise within the Congress over the next two decades.

Another major test of Shivakumar’s political management skills came after the 2018 Karnataka Assembly elections. The Congress and JD(S) stitched together an unlikely post-poll alliance to keep the BJP out of power.

In the 224-member Assembly, the BJP had emerged as the single-largest party with 104 MLAs, falling just short of the majority mark, while the Congress had won 79 seats and the JD(S) 37. With the coalition holding only a slender edge, the Congress leadership entrusted Shivakumar with the difficult task of keeping the alliance intact amid relentless poaching attempts by the BJP.

For months, Shivakumar acted as the coalition’s chief troubleshooter, coordinating between Congress and JD(S) leaders, managing disgruntled legislators and ensuring that not a single MLA from the alliance crossed over despite intense political pressure.

He even herded 43 Congress MLAs to a Bengaluru resort, took away mobiles and watched over them. This helped keep Yediyurappa from forming government until the trust vote.

The episode further reinforced Shivakumar’s reputation within the Congress as a dependable crisis manager capable of protecting fragile governments during high-stakes political battles.

Later, he hosted 44 Gujarat Congress MLAs at a Bengaluru golf resort to prevent poaching.

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