Congress picked a new CM midstream to try and blunt Karnataka’s anti-incumbency instincts. But that won’t address deep regional inequalities. Plus, don’t bet on ex-CM being politically passive.

In replacing Karnataka’s longest serving CM, Congress is seeking to counter a deeply entrenched trend in the state’s politics. Since 1980s, no governing party in Karnataka has been re-elected. Congress, evidently, hopes Siddaramaiah will take anti-incumbency with him, allowing the party to face 2028 assembly elections with a fresh image. Whether this gamble pays off would depend not just on the immediate political fallout. It will also depend on the new govt’s ability to address the underlying economic malady that causes people to reject state govts of all political types.

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