The Congress party has cautioned its Karnataka leaders against making public statements regarding speculation about a change in Chief Minister, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of orchestrating a "maligning campaign" to destabilize the state government. This warning comes amidst increasing rumors of a power tussle between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.
Randeep Singh Surjewala, Congress general secretary, addressed the media, stating that he had spoken with both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, and both leaders agreed that the BJP, along with sections of the media, were deliberately trying to undermine the Congress government in Karnataka. Surjewala asserted that the BJP, "a decisively defeated and faction-ridden" party, was attempting to discredit the government's achievements and its flagship "five Guarantees," which he described as a model of inclusive development and distributive justice.
The warning from the Congress leadership follows reports of several Congress MLAs, including a minister loyal to DK Shivakumar, traveling to Delhi to meet with top party leaders. These MLAs are reportedly pushing for the implementation of what they claim was a pre-arranged power-sharing agreement made in 2023, where Shivakumar would take over as Chief Minister after Siddaramaiah completed half of his term. Siddaramaiah has firmly denied these reports, asserting that the Congress high command has not discussed any change in leadership and that he intends to continue as Chief Minister. He also reminded the media that any decision regarding leadership or cabinet reshuffle would be made solely by the high command.
Adding to the sense of unease, senior Karnataka Congress leaders aligned with Chief Minister Siddarmaiah held a closed-door meeting where they voiced concern over the internal turbulence and demanded clarity on a potential Chief Minister change. These leaders emphasized the importance of unity and focusing on the 2028 Assembly elections, warning that internal strife could negatively impact the party's long-term political goals. Some supporters of Siddaramaiah have proposed that DK Shivakumar be officially projected as the party's Chief Ministerial face for the 2028 Assembly elections, seemingly as a compromise to ensure Siddaramaiah completes his full term. However, this proposal has also created further confusion and shifted power dynamics within the party.
DK Shivakumar has downplayed the significance of the Delhi visits by MLAs and dismissed the rumors of a leadership change, stating that all members are free to visit their leaders. He also posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he doesn't believe in factions and considers all 140 Congress MLAs as "my MLAs".
Despite these attempts to project unity, the undercurrents of internal ambition and the persistent rumors of a power-sharing agreement continue to fuel speculation about the future leadership of Karnataka. The Congress party is keen to dismiss any disunity rumors, and blames the BJP and media for attempting to undermine the government's achievements. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is expected to travel to Bengaluru, even as political buzz continues within the state unit. The party leadership maintains that there is no discussion on a change of guard in Karnataka.
