Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday adopted a cautious stance amid mounting speculation over a potential leadership change in the state Congress government and the ongoing power struggle with his deputy, DK Shivakumar. When questioned about the rumors, Siddaramaiah stated, “I will speak about it tomorrow,” as quoted by news agencies.
Background of the Leadership Debate
The internal conflict within the Karnataka Congress has persisted for months, with frequent rumors of a power-sharing agreement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. According to sources cited by PTI on Tuesday, the Congress leadership has proposed a larger national role and a Rajya Sabha seat for Siddaramaiah, which would allow Shivakumar to assume the chief minister’s position for the remainder of the term. However, Siddaramaiah has yet to accept this offer.
Party Efforts to Resolve the Tussle
Karnataka’s Home Minister stated that details of the discussions during Siddaramaiah’s recent meeting with the Congress high command in Delhi remain undisclosed. The visit of AICC Karnataka in-charge Randeep Surjewala to Bengaluru is expected to bring clarity to the ongoing speculations. The Congress leadership reportedly held day-long talks with both leaders to address the prolonged dispute over the chief minister’s post. Despite widespread speculation, the party officially denied that any leadership change was discussed during the meeting.
Earlier in the day, Siddaramaiah paid floral tributes to India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on his death anniversary.
BJP Criticizes Congress Over Power Struggle
Former Karnataka Chief Minister and BJP leader Basavaraj S Bommai attacked the Congress over the reported leadership crisis. Referring to the possible removal of Siddaramaiah, he remarked, “Whenever a chief minister is removed, it has an effect. If an OBC leader is removed, the OBC people will be unhappy. This will create a lot of problems for the Congress in the 2028 assembly elections.”
Bommai also criticized the Congress government’s administration, questioning whether a leadership change would improve governance. “The administration in Karnataka has collapsed. No development work is being done. The people are suffering. I don't think DK Shivakumar has a magic wand to change this. The deterioration which started at the time of Siddaramaiah will continue with Shivakumar. By the end of their term, the government will be in shambles, and the state will be in a poor condition.”
He added, “We have been raising this issue, but there are a lot of power-hungry people in Congress who are not bothered about what the Opposition or the people say. This is why they (Congress) will pay the price in the next elections.”
Congress Leadership’s Previous Interventions
The Congress high command has intervened multiple times since the formation of the Karnataka government in 2023 to manage tensions between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar. Supporters of Shivakumar have repeatedly claimed that a rotational chief ministership arrangement was agreed upon at the time of government formation, although the Congress leadership has never publicly confirmed such a formula.
