The Congress Party's disciplinary committee has taken action against Basavaraju V Shivaganga, an MLA from Channagiri, following his public declaration that D.K. Shivakumar would be the next Chief Minister of Karnataka. The State Disciplinary Committee issued a show cause notice to Shivaganga for his statement, which has stirred discussions about a potential change in leadership within the state.

Shivaganga's statement, made to reporters in Davangere, asserted that "After December, DK will become the CM...". This declaration has reignited speculation about a possible power-sharing agreement between the current Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, and his deputy, D.K. Shivakumar.

D.K. Shivakumar, who also serves as the Congress state president, has expressed his disapproval of Shivaganga's pronouncement, labeling it a breach of party discipline. Shivakumar stated that despite previous warnings, Shivaganga has persisted in making such statements. He emphasized that "No one should talk about the CM post and other issues. MLAs should follow party discipline. They should not cross the line". He further added that MLAs have been strictly instructed in the past not to create confusion by making unnecessary statements.

Nivedith Alwa, the coordinator of the Disciplinary Committee, stated that Shivaganga's media statements regarding a change in Chief Minister have caused confusion and embarrassment within the party.

Speculation about a change in Chief Minister has been circulating within Karnataka's political circles, particularly within the Congress. This speculation is fueled by rumors of a power-sharing arrangement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. However, Siddaramaiah has maintained that he intends to serve his full five-year term as Chief Minister.

It's worth noting that there was significant competition between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for the Chief Minister's position following the Assembly election results in May 2023. Ultimately, the Congress party convinced Shivakumar to accept the role of Deputy CM.