The Congress may have finally resolved the power tussle between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar by handing over the Karnataka chief minister’s crown to the former, there is no denying that convincing Shivakumar was not all that simple.
It not only took efforts from Sonia Gandhi — whom DKS often refers to as his ‘mother figure’ — to ask him to back down and allow Siddaramaiah to take over until he clears all the pending IT and ED cases against him but the Karnataka Congress chief was also in constant touch with his ‘political jyotishi’ (astrologer) Vellore Shankaranarayana Dwarakanath Guruji, popularly known as Dwarakanath Guruji.
Sources close to Shivakumar’s family said the now deputy CM-designate had been advised by Dwarakanath to accept the formula offered by the Congress high command as his kundalini (horoscope) did not align for him to have ‘Raj Yog’. The term loosely translates to a duration during which a person achieves fame, prosperity, wealth, reputation, and fulfilment of desires in life, much like a king. In Shivakumar’s case, this coveted treasure was the chief minister’s chair.
Popular as the trouble-shooter and Congress’ trustworthy lieutenant who helped the party gain the highest number of seats in Karnataka’s political history, Shivakumar hopes his lucky stars will align in his favour soon and land him the much-wanted ‘kursi’ (CM chair).
As per predictions, Shivakumar’s planetary positions will fall in place for the post by November 2025. Incidentally, this timeframe also coincides with the 2.5 years rotational CM option offered by the Congress high command.
A close associate said the political astrologer advised DKS that by then, “he would not have to fight for the seat as it would come to him automatically since he is most deserving for that post”.
“While Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Kharge-ji played a big role in convincing Shivakumar to accept the deputy CM post and work towards a successful Congress government in Karnataka, he also took the advice of Dwarkanath whom he holds in very high regard,” said a source. It is said that Shivakumar met the astrologer for the first time during his student days in SJRC.
DKS later tweeted that the state’s secure future is the Congress’ priority and told his team that he was committed to helping the party deliver its promises to the people who voted them back with a thumping majority.
Sources aware of the developments say the state Congress president, along with the deputy CM post, has been offered six plump ministries. However, confirmation on the same is awaited.
Shivakumar is a staunch believer in astrology, numerology, and is often seen seeking advice from Dwarakanath who is an extremely popular astrological guide and spiritual philosopher for a large number of political leaders in Karnataka and across the country.
Former chief ministers like Devaraj Urs, SM Krishna, Dharam Singh, and HD Kumaraswamy have sought his advice before making crucial decisions in their personal and political lives.
The astrologer rose to fame in political circles after he predicted that Indira Gandhi would win from the Chikkamagalur constituency in 1978 and later said Narendra Modi would not only win the 2014 elections but also become the prime minister of India twice.
Senior politicians like Sushil Kumar Shinde, Ahmed Patel, Amarinder Singh, Vilasrao Deshmukh, several bureaucrats, actors in the film industry, industrialists, and foreign diplomats are known to have consulted Dwarakanath on a regular basis.
Another instance of Shivakumar’s deep commitment to his religious leaders is when a day after the Congress’ resounding victory in Karnataka, DKS was seen offering prayers and seeking the blessings of his ‘spiritual guru’ Ajjayya in Nonavinakere Kadasiddeshwara Mutt.
Though held in high regard by those in power, Dwarakanath has also been at the centre of controversies. When former chief minister of Karnataka Devaraj Urs passed away at his home during a visit to understand his political future, the Urs family deemed it suspicious and sought a thorough investigation into the matter.
In 2017, Dwarakanath came under the IT scanner after it was alleged that a hospital worth around Rs 800 crore was bought by him in which Shivakumar had invested money. IT officials at the time stated that they had found documents that showed an agreement had been drawn up between the two. During questioning, it was stated that Shivakumar had ‘merely voluntarily’ financed his guru, who was short-funded at the time.