Karnataka's 'double engine' sarkar

Karnataka has now come upon a 'double-engine sarkar' of its own Congress variety. The 'compromise' - arrived after what seemed like endless rounds of 'visits' of the central leadership and talks - of appointing Siddaramaiah as chief minister of the state and D K Shivakumar, Congress state president and the other architect of Congress' resounding electoral victory, as deputy chief minister has got the speculation mills working overtime. Questions about the longevity of this arrangement are rife, given their political rivalry. While a country or state is not a corporate entity, the HR department handbook might be able to provide some guidance.

The Siddaramaiah-DKS combine is the not the first time that political parties have sought to use the 'almost co-heads' of government solution to resolve competing claims. It is a common solution when two parties are in alliance - Bihar and Maharashtra are examples that come quickest to mind. It has also been used as an intra-party tool, such as in Assam and Uttar Pradesh. The 'two power centres' model, like alliances and single-party governments, is sometimes successful, sometimes not. The successful examples are ones where the participants have clear roles and pathways for the future. Take Assam. Sarbananda Sonowal was chief minister with Himanta Biswa Sarma as his deputy. After five years of the Sonowal-Sarma jugalbandi, a renewed mandate saw Sonowal moving 'up' to the Centre and Sarma taking over as CM.

Managing expectations and prospects in a company is a bit easier than it is in a state. But there is a basic rule for success that would apply to both: ensuring that people feel they have been recognised for their efforts. A 'compromise', then, may well signal better things to come.