The interactions involving Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, followed by reports of a gathering of ministers close to the Chief Minister in Bengaluru, sparked a fresh round of speculation about the future leadership, even as Shivakumar denied the rumours, stating that the focus was on governance.
These developments came as the Congress government completed three years of its term on Wednesday, reviving questions that have lingered since the party came to power in 2023 – whether Siddaramaiah will continue as chief minister for the full term or Shivakumar could eventually take over.
The hype gained momentum after discussions involving senior Congress leaders sparked a debate within the party and among political observers over whether the Congress high command had started internal consultations on the leadership of Karnataka.
But Shivakumar rejected those suggestions and insisted that the talks were about governance and strengthening the organisation. “Yesterday, you were all writing stories on leadership issues. We were discussing how to strengthen the party and how to bring it back to power,” Shivakumar told reporters in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
Asked directly if the discussions were about replacing Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar said: “You are all writing different stories. We discussed politics and governance. That’s all.”
Sections of the media also reported that four ministers considered close to Siddaramaiah met for breakfast in Bengaluru as discussions on the future leadership of the state government gained momentum. Although the details of the meeting were not announced, its timing drew political attention because it came amid a growing debate within congressional circles about the succession.
The issue of Congress leadership has remained ever since the party formed the government in May 2023 after defeating the BJP in the Assembly elections. Siddaramaiah was eventually chosen as chief minister after lengthy consultations with the Congress leadership, while Shivakumar – who played a key role in rebuilding the party organization in the state – accepted the post of deputy chief minister. Since then, rumors about a rotation arrangement for the post of Prime Minister have repeatedly emerged, although the Congress has not publicly confirmed any such agreement.
The issue returned to the forefront this month as the government passed the halfway point of its five-year term. During media interactions on Wednesday, Shivakumar said that he and Siddaramaiah are ready to travel to Delhi when called by the party leadership.
The Deputy Prime Minister also responded sharply to recent statements made by senior Congress leader KN Rajanna, who had publicly referred to internal leadership discussions within the party. “I did not know that KN Rajanna was our high command,” Shivakumar quipped.
Reports of a power tussle between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have emerged repeatedly. The problem worsened after the government completed two and a half years in power.
