Interactions involving chief minister Siddaramaiah, deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, followed by reports of a gathering of ministers close to the chief minister in Bengaluru, set off a fresh round of speculation over the future leadership, even as Shivakumar dismissed the rumour, stating that the focus was on governance.
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The developments came as the Congress government completed three years in office on Wednesday, reviving questions that have persisted 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 buzz gathered momentum after discussions involving senior Congress leaders triggered debate within the party and among political observers if the Congress high command had begun internal consultations on Karnataka’s leadership.
Shivakumar, however, rejected those suggestions and insisted the conversations were related to governance and strengthening the organisation. “Yesterday, all of you were writing stories about 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 whether the discussions involved 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 over breakfast in Bengaluru as discussions over the future leadership of the state government gathered momentum. Though details of the meeting were not made public, its timing drew political attention because it came amid increasing debate within Congress circles over succession.
The Congress leadership question has persisted since the party formed the government in May 2023 after defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Assembly election. Siddaramaiah was eventually chosen chief minister after prolonged consultations with the Congress leadership, while Shivakumar — who played a key role in rebuilding the party organisation in the state — accepted the position of deputy chief minister. Since then, rumours of a rotational arrangement for the chief minister’s post have surfaced repeatedly, though the Congress has never publicly confirmed any such agreement.
The issue returned to the forefront this month as the government crossed the midpoint of its five-year tenure. During media interactions on Wednesday, Shivakumar said both he and Siddaramaiah were prepared to travel to Delhi whenever summoned by the party leadership.
The deputy chief minister also responded sharply to recent remarks by senior Congress leader KN Rajanna, who had publicly referred to internal discussions over leadership within the party. “I did not know KN Rajanna was our high command,” Shivakumar said sarcastically.
Reports of a power tussle between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have surfaced repeatedly. The issue intensified after the government completed two-and-a-half years in office.
