While the Congress may have finally settled the power tussle between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar by handing over the Karnataka Chief Minister’s crown to Siddaramaiah, there is no denying that Shivakumar was not easy to persuade.
It took efforts not only from Sonia Gandhi – whom DKS often refers to as its ‘mother figure’ – to ask her to step down and allow Siddaramaiah to clear all pending IT and ED cases against him but The Karnataka Congress chief was also in constant touch with his ‘political astrologer’ (astrologer) Vellore Sankaranarayanan Dwarkanath Guruji, popularly known as Dwarkanath Guruji.
Sources close to Shivakumar’s family said the now-designated Deputy CM was advised by Dwarkanath to accept the formula offered by the Congress high command as his Kundalini (horoscope) was not aligned for ‘Raj Yoga’ for him. The term loosely translates to the period during which a person achieves fame, prosperity, wealth, prestige and fulfillment of desires in life like a king. In Shivakumar’s case, this coveted treasure was the chief minister’s chair.
Popularly known as the trouble-shooter and trusted lieutenant of the Congress, who helped the party bag the highest number of seats in the political history of Karnataka, Shivakumar hopes that his lucky stars will soon turn in his favor and give him the much-awaited ‘chair’. (Chief Minister’s chair) will be given. ,
As per the predictions, Shivakumar’s planetary positions will come to this position by November 2025. Incidentally, this time frame coincides with the 2.5-year rotational CM option proposed by the Congress high command.
A close aide said that the political astrologer advised DKS that till then, “he will not have to fight for the seat as it will automatically come to him as he is the most qualified for that post”.
“Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Kharge ji played a big role in persuading 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 greatly respected We do. A source said. It is said that Shivakumar first met the astrologer during his student days at SJRC.
DKS later tweeted that securing the future of the state was the priority of the Congress and told his team that he was committed to helping the party fulfill the promises made to the people who voted him back with a thumping majority.
Sources aware of the developments say that the state Congress president has been offered six fat ministries along with the post of Deputy CM. However, confirmation on the same is awaited.
Shivakumar is a firm believer in astrology, numerology, and is often seen consulting Dwarkanath, a highly 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 consulted him before taking important decisions in their personal and political lives.
The astrologer shot to fame in political circles when he predicted that Indira Gandhi would win from the Chikkamagalur constituency in 1978 and later predicted that 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, film industry actors, industrialists and foreign diplomats are known to consult Dwarkanath on a regular basis.
Another example of Shivakumar’s deep commitment to his religious leaders is when, a day after the Congress’ landslide victory in Karnataka, DKS was seen praying at the Nonnavinkere Kadasiddeshwara Math and seeking the blessings of his ‘spiritual mentor’ Ajjayya.
Though held in high regard by those in power, Dwarkanath has also been at the center of controversy. When former Karnataka Chief Minister Devaraj Urs died at his home to understand his political future, the Urs family considered it suspicious and demanded a thorough probe into the matter.
In 2017, Dwarkanath came under the IT probe after it was alleged that a hospital worth around Rs 800 crore was bought by him in which Shivakumar had invested money. IT officials had said at the time that they had found documents that showed a deal was struck between the two. During questioning, it was stated that Shivakumar had ‘merely willingly’ financed his guru, who was under-financed at the time.