The Congress leadership has moved towards a change of guard in Karnataka, with indications that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been offered an honourable rehabilitation, possibly including a Rajya Sabha seat, as part of a smooth leadership transition in the state.
Deliberations in Delhi
On a day when Siddaramaiah and his deputy, DK Shivakumar, met with Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal, and state in-charge Randeep Surjewala for over six hours, Rahul Gandhi is learnt to have asked Siddaramaiah during a one-on-one meeting to consider taking up a national role in the party. He was asked to respond within a week.
Venugopal, speaking to reporters flanked by the CM and the deputy CM, dismissed as speculation the talk of a leadership change, saying the meetings were limited to the upcoming Rajya Sabha and legislative council elections. However, party insiders said Siddaramaiah told Rahul he had no ambition to enter national politics, but Rahul insisted he wanted the veteran OBC leader in his team to strengthen Congress nationally. Rahul had so far resisted the idea of replacing Siddaramaiah, even as others in the party's top echelons felt that a leadership switch could help the Congress.
Siddaramaiah's Dilemma
Party insiders said Siddaramaiah sought time to consult his loyalists before making a decision. During the discussions, he is learnt to have indicated that he would rather step down than confront Rahul, who had backed him for the CM post twice in his career despite him being viewed as an outsider within the Congress. Rahul's rethink marks the moment that Shivakumar has been waiting for over the past six months. He had all along maintained that a rotational tenure was promised to him at the time of the government's formation. Shivakumar was the party chief when the Congress won the state elections by defeating the BJP in 2023.
There was a discussion in Siddaramaiah's camp on whether he should register his protest either by refusing to resign or by stepping down and declining any national role, sources said.
Potential Rajya Sabha Move
If Siddaramaiah agrees to shift to the Rajya Sabha, it may warrant a change in the Leader of Opposition post, currently held by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge. Rahul's team also discussed a possible cabinet berth for Siddaramaiah's son Yathindra as part of the negotiations. The Congress president is set to get another Rajya Sabha term next month, and many consider Siddaramaiah a strong possibility for Leader of Opposition to help the Congress with the OBC vote base.
The possibility of shifting the 77-year-old leader to the Rajya Sabha has gained momentum ahead of elections to four Upper House seats from Karnataka in June. The Congress is confident of winning at least three seats.
It remains to be seen if the CM quietly agrees to let Shivakumar replace him or puts up resistance that may open the way for a third candidate as a compromise. Siddaramaiah's camp maintained that he is still the overwhelming choice of the legislature party, and he submitted a list of 108 signatures to underline his pre-eminence.
Consultations Continue
After the AICC deliberations, Siddaramaiah met loyal ministers and MLAs at his senior minister KG George's Delhi residence. He is expected to hold another round of consultations in Bengaluru on Wednesday before deciding his future course of action.
A senior leader pointed out that a cabinet reshuffle in the state, as sought by Siddaramaiah, was not discussed in the AICC meetings, which indicates that the CM's continuation was not guaranteed.
Party insiders said the Congress leadership was keen to avoid a Rajasthan-like crisis, and therefore preferred a negotiated transition rather than a tense resolution.
Implications for Congress
Congress insiders have recently argued that any change of guard would only come with the consent of Siddaramaiah, as the party is mindful of his seniority and the fact that he is a senior OBC leader whose social engineering gives the party a political advantage. A senior state leader said the party must consider the possible ramifications of ejecting Siddaramaiah, whose community of Kuruba has a statewide presence and the clout to hurt the Congress.
