Stung by Insult, Turned BJP’s Strength: From Himanta to Scindia, Now All Eyes on Shivakumar

First comes the charge of being ignored or insulted, then the exit from the Congress, and finally a new and bigger role in the BJP. Indian politics has seen this script play out again and again in recent years. Leaders who left the Congress for the BJP now sit in chief ministers’ chairs, Union Cabinet berths and state party president posts across the country. The question is obvious: did the very leaders who felt slighted by the Congress leadership become the BJP’s biggest strength?

Himanta Biswa Sarma in Assam, Jyotiraditya Scindia in Madhya Pradesh and Captain Amarinder Singh in Punjab have been at the centre of this debate. Now, political circles have started whispering about Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar too. This analysis looks at the key examples from the last five to six years: why these leaders say they quit, what the Congress says in response, and how much the BJP actually gained.

By Manpreet Singh

The most talked about story in this debate is that of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Sarma was once counted among the most powerful faces of the Assam Congress. In the Tarun Gogoi government he handled heavyweight portfolios such as health and education, and he was known for his firm grip on election management.

Sarma has recounted one meeting on many platforms. By his account, in 2015 he went with a few senior Assam Congress leaders to meet Rahul Gandhi. Sarma claims that during the meeting Rahul Gandhi’s pet dog Pidi ate biscuits from a plate, and the same plate was then offered to the visiting leaders. Sarma has also said that Rahul Gandhi showed little interest in Assam’s issues at that meeting. This is Sarma’s own version of events, and the Congress does not accept it.

According to Sarma, it was this experience that made him decide to leave the Congress, and he joined the BJP in August 2015. The old story returned to the headlines in February 2024, when a video from the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra went viral. Sarma then wrote on social media that the entire Gandhi family could not make him eat that biscuit, that he refused, and that he left the Congress.

Rahul Gandhi offered an explanation about the 2024 video. He said the dog was nervous, so he handed the biscuit to its owner to feed it, and he also questioned the BJP’s obsession with dogs. The political outcome is plain to see. In 2016 the BJP formed its first government in Assam, with Sarma emerging as its chief strategist. He became Chief Minister in 2021. In the 2026 Assam Assembly election the NDA won more than 100 of the 126 seats, and on 12 May 2026 Sarma took oath as Chief Minister for a second straight term.

Much of the BJP’s expansion in the Northeast is also credited to Sarma. Chief ministers such as Pema Khandu of Arunachal Pradesh and Manik Saha of Tripura were once in the Congress as well. In other words, analysts argue that by losing one leader, the Congress lost not just a state but an entire region.

Also read: Priyanka Gandhi hits back at the BJP over her mother’s memoir

By Sanjna Gupta

The Congress won the 2018 Madhya Pradesh Assembly election on the strength of the Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia pairing. Scindia’s hold over the Gwalior Chambal region delivered big gains for the party. Yet Kamal Nath became Chief Minister, and the state Congress chief’s post did not go to Scindia either. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election Scindia lost his family stronghold of Guna, and his standing in the party kept weakening after that.

In February 2020 Scindia said he would take to the streets if the manifesto promises were not kept. Kamal Nath’s reply, in essence, was that he was free to do so. Scindia’s supporters saw it as a direct insult. On 10 March 2020 Scindia quit the Congress. The resignations of 22 MLAs who went with him reduced the Kamal Nath government to a minority, it collapsed, and Shivraj Singh Chouhan returned as Chief Minister.

Scindia became a Union Cabinet Minister in 2021 and today holds the Communications and Development of North Eastern Region portfolios. The BJP won Madhya Pradesh by a big margin in the 2023 Assembly election, and in 2024 Scindia returned to the Lok Sabha from Guna with a huge majority.

By Manpreet Singh

In September 2021 Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh resigned. The high command had called a meeting of the legislature party without consulting him. After resigning, he said openly that he felt humiliated. The Congress replaced him with Charanjit Singh Channi.

Amarinder first launched the Punjab Lok Congress and then merged it with the BJP in September 2022. The Congress was voted out of power in the 2022 Assembly election. The episode shows that the damage from a perception of humiliation does not stay limited to one leader; it hurts the image of the whole party. Sunil Jakhar, a close associate of Amarinder, also later joined the BJP.

Also read: Punjab Politics: Congress launches Jawani Sambhal Yatra ahead of 2027 polls, led by Charanjit Channi

By Sanjna Gupta

Between 2021 and 2026, almost every major election was preceded by some prominent Congress face moving to the BJP. Many of them cited being ignored, not being heard, or being insulted as the reason.

Three things stand out from this list. First, most of these leaders came over just before an election, bringing the BJP both a local network and caste arithmetic. Second, the BJP did not merely induct them; it gave them ministerial posts, tickets and organisational responsibilities. Third, every defection revived the charge that there is a lack of dialogue inside the Congress. In February 2026 Himanta Biswa Sarma said he had a full schedule ready for Congress leaders joining the BJP. When Bordoloi joined, he said the BJP wants to bring in Congress leaders who are assets to the party.

By Sudhanshu

All eyes are now on Karnataka. DK Shivakumar replaced Siddaramaiah as Karnataka Chief Minister on 3 June 2026. The tussle between the two leaders over the top post stayed in the headlines for a long time, and even after becoming Chief Minister, Shivakumar’s path has not looked easy. It is important to repeat here that there is no official confirmation of him moving to the BJP.

The Viral Video and the BJP’s Attack

By Sanjna Gupta

Rahul Gandhi pushing cm DK Shivkumar https://t.co/Etl1NRhUza

— News Media Kiran (@newsmediakiran) November 13, 2026

On 12 October 2026 a video from the opposition’s March for Democracy in New Delhi went viral. It shows Rahul Gandhi moving ahead through a heavy crowd while Chief Minister Shivakumar, trying to walk alongside him, is pushed back. The Karnataka BJP called it an insult to seven crore Kannadigas, and state BJP president B. Y. Vijayendra also launched a sharp attack on Rahul Gandhi. However, the video also shows heavy jostling in the crowd, so opinion is divided on whether it was a deliberate snub.

The Pink Line Inauguration and a Softer Tone

By Manpreet Singh

Meanwhile, on 13 November 2026 Prime Minister Narendra Modi is inaugurating the elevated stretch of Namma Metro’s Pink Line in Bengaluru. Chief Minister Shivakumar himself said the Prime Minister was coming at the state government’s invitation and that it was a matter of pride for Karnataka. He also said he would raise some of the state’s issues with the Prime Minister. His soft and cooperative tone towards the BJP has further fuelled political chatter.

Also read: Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar seeks private meeting with PM Modi over drought relief funds

By Sudhanshu

Speculation linking Shivakumar to the BJP is not new. In February 2025 he shared the stage with Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the Isha Foundation’s Mahashivratri event. In August 2025 his singing of the RSS prayer “Namaste Sada Vatsale” in the Assembly also sparked a heated debate. BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal then claimed that Shivakumar had one foot in the BJP. But it is equally a fact that Shivakumar has rejected such speculation every single time. He has said the Congress is in his blood and his life, and that there is no question of joining the BJP or the RSS.

Karnataka BJP president Vijayendra has also called the talk of Shivakumar joining the BJP baseless. So far there is no official confirmation of any secret meeting between Shivakumar and BJP leaders, or of any switch. For now, his case remains limited to speculation and political signals. Still, the BJP’s aggression over the push video and the pictures of him sharing a stage with the Prime Minister together raise uncomfortable questions for the Congress.

By Netsha Singh

The Congress sees this whole narrative differently. The party has maintained that many of those who left did so in pursuit of power and posts. Congress leaders have also alleged on several occasions that central investigative agencies were used to apply pressure. When Bhupen Borah left in Assam, Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia said it would cause the party no harm. In Pradyut Bordoloi’s case, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra described it as a decision linked to internal differences. In other words, the Congress does not deny infighting, but it presents it as an ordinary organisational problem rather than arrogance at the top.

It is also true that humiliation was not the only reason in every defection. Some leaders had weak seats of their own, some saw a better future in the BJP, and some parted ways over ideology.

By Adarsh Pandey

The record shows that leaders who came from the Congress strengthened the BJP in areas where it was earlier weak. Assam and the Northeast are the biggest example, where former Congress leaders now run governments. In Madhya Pradesh, Scindia’s arrival brought the BJP back to power and tightened its grip on Gwalior Chambal.

The BJP’s second big gain has been the narrative. With every defection it sends the message that hardworking leaders are not respected in the Congress. Himanta’s biscuit story and Shivakumar’s push video have both become part of that message. Not every experiment worked, though. Anil Antony lost the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Pathanamthitta, and in some states old BJP workers voiced resentment over outsiders being given preference. Overall, however, the BJP has been the biggest beneficiary of this trend.

By Sanjna Gupta

Congress leaders crossing over to the BJP are among the most important political stories of the past decade. Leaders such as Himanta Biswa Sarma and Jyotiraditya Scindia publicly tied their unhappiness to humiliation and went on to bigger roles in the BJP. DK Shivakumar’s case is still in the realm of speculation, and he himself says he is staying with the Congress.

The ball is now in the Congress leadership’s court. If the party does not repair its relationship of dialogue and respect with its regional leaders, this line of aggrieved leaders may keep making the BJP stronger.

Editor’s note: The section on DK Shivakumar is written as speculation, since there is no confirmation of him joining the BJP. He has consistently said he remains with the Congress.

#Congress #BJP #HimantaBiswaSarma #JyotiradityaScindia #AmarinderSingh #DKShivakumar #IndianPolitics #NewsMediaKiran

Author: Sudhanshu Tiwari

Sudhanshu Tiwari handles the website and digital support for NewsMediaKiran, helping ensure the platform remains smooth, updated, and user-friendly. He specializes in website development, maintenance, and digital solutions, with a focus on creating reliable and effective online experiences.

Sudhanshu Tiwari

Sudhanshu Tiwari handles the website and digital support for NewsMediaKiran, helping ensure the platform remains smooth, updated, and user-friendly. He specializes in website development, maintenance, and digital solutions, with a focus on creating reliable and effective online experiences.