BENGALURU: The simmering turf war between chief minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar spilled into the open once again on Wednesday, this time over the transfer of five senior engineers marking the latest flashpoint in a growing series of power tussles between the state’s two most powerful leaders. It has emerged, rather late, that Shivakumar, who also holds the Water Resources portfolio, sent a formal letter to chief secretary Shalini Rajneesh, directing her to “immediately withdraw” the transfer orders issued by the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR), which operates under the chief minister. The engineers from the Public Works Department (PWD) were transferred on 9 May to key posts within the Water Resources Department, including divisions handling interstate water disputes, the Neeravari irrigation projects, the politically sensitive Yettinahole project, the Command Area Development Authority (CADA) and the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation. What triggered Shivakumar’s intervention was not just the transfers themselves, but the manner in which they were carried out — without his consent. In a written note dated 13 May, Shivakumar reminded the chief secretary that the foundational agreement between cabinet colleagues when the Congress government was formed was clear: “No transfers or appointments related to my department should be made without my explicit approval.” “These transfers have been carried out without any reference to the concerned minister in charge,” Shivakumar noted, adding that such decisions “violate protocol and undermine ministerial authority.” Among the engineers shifted was BH Manjunath, currently posted in the police housing corporation, who is due to retire on 31 May. The DPAR order directed a new engineer to report in advance to the post expected to fall vacant. While CM Siddaramaiah has not responded to the latest directive, political circles view the sequence of events as yet another chapter in the ongoing cold war between the two leaders — each eager to assert control over their administrative domains. This is not the first time the two have clashed over bureaucratic matters. Earlier disagreements have emerged over budget allocations, cabinet portfolios, and appointments to boards and corporations. Though often papered over in public statements, the unease has become increasingly difficult to conceal. Observers within the Congress admit that the leadership structure in Karnataka — where the CM and DCM are both tall leaders with chief ministerial ambitions has led to frequent friction, especially over high-stakes departments such as Bengaluru development, water resources and public works. The chief secretary has yet to respond to Shivakumar’s directive. It remains to be seen whether the transfers will be reversed or if the confrontation prompts a recalibration of boundaries between the CM’s office and Shivakumar’s ministries.
