Amid speculation that Karnataka Chief Minister K Siddaramaiah could be offered a Rajya Sabha seat as part of a plan to step down, people familiar with the matter told HT that he may “not be ready” to accept his deputy DK Shivakumar as his successor.
In this scenario, the party may look at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as a compromise candidate for the chief minister’s post. This arrangement may also allow Rahul Gandhi to appoint KC Venugopal as the party’s next president, allowing for a broader organizational shake-up at the Centre.
“However, this is the remote option as of now,” said a commander aware of the developments, as reported earlier by HT.
What is presented to the Prime Minister?
As the leadership tussle in the state intensifies, the Congress party is said to be considering a Bihar-style formula to resolve the issue.
According to people familiar with the matter, Siddaramaiah could be offered the following in exchange for stepping down:
- Rajya Sabha seat for Siddaramaiah
- A possible ministerial post for his son Yatindra
Why is the Rajya Sabha option being explored now
After winning the 2023 Assembly elections, reports indicated that a power-sharing arrangement had been agreed under which DK Shivakumar would take over as chief minister after Siddaramaiah completed half of his term, or 2.5 years. The halfway point was reached in November 2025, but no leadership transition occurred.
The Congress government in the state completed three years on May 20.
Now, to facilitate what has been agreed upon, A more central location is mooted for Siddaramaiah To allow Shivakumar to take over the top post. Four BSP seats, including Kharg, are scheduled to go to the polls from Karnataka in June, with the Congress confident of winning at least three seats.
However, as mentioned above, Siddaramaiah is not in favor of Shivakumar succeeding him.
Why might Siddaramaiah not erupt?
Talks of leadership clamor had also been raised earlier when Siddaramaiah completed half his term in November. Breakfast meetings between leaders Sources said the matter did not lead to any result as the former urged the latter to take over as chief minister after the next House of Representatives elections in the state in 2028.
Given the current situation, there are several reasons why the Prime Minister will not resist the proposed change.
The first is that Siddaramaiah – the only Other Backward Classes party in the party – leads more legislators but every legislator is aware of the government’s poor ratings.
“There is a feeling that if things are allowed to continue, the party’s chance of making a comeback in the 2028 House elections will be very slim,” said a leader familiar with the details who requested anonymity.
Second, leaders in the Siddaramaiah camp are said to be backing Shivakumar to contest the 2028 Assembly elections, when a strong anti-incumbency wave is expected in Karnataka, which they believe could weaken his chances and, by extension, his leadership claims.
Two leaders met with senior officials in Congress
The speculation followed the country’s two leaders He met the Congress high command in New Delhi Tuesday.
While the party claimed that no discussions were held on power-sharing and only the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections were discussed, people familiar with the matter told Hizb ut-Tahrir that the top leadership is in favor of “power transfer” in Karnataka, with alternative routes to Siddaramaiah planned.
“The three decision-makers — party president Mallikarjun Kharge, general secretary in-charge KC Venugopal, and state in charge Randeep Surjewala — are in favor of transfer of power,” a party leader familiar with the details said.
Karnataka Minister Priyank Karg also said that the Delhi consultations were linked to the discussion of Rajya Sabha seats. “The high command has summoned the prime minister and deputy chief minister to discuss Rajya Sabha seats. We also have a lot of MLC seats that will open in less than 15 to 20 days. So they will discuss that with the high command,” he said.
After extending the invitation, Siddaramaiah pointed out that while he was invited to New Delhi, he was not aware of the issue.
“I am invited to Delhi. Tomorrow there is a meeting by 11 am. I don’t know the topic. But I am invited. Last night, KC Venugopal called me and informed me about the date and the meeting,” Siddaramaiah told reporters in Bengaluru.
Deputy CM Shivakumar said, “During a certain situation, I will have to go, I will go.”
Second breakfast meeting at Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar
Amid the speculation, Siddaramaiah called Shivakumar for a breakfast meeting on Thursday at his Kaveri residence. What comes next is not yet known. The Deputy Prime Minister will travel from New Delhi tomorrow morning at 5:45 am and reach Bengaluru at 8:30 am. The two leaders will meet for a meal at nine in the morning.
