Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy, DK Shivakumar, put on a determined show of unity in Delhi on Tuesday, brushing aside the intensifying rumours of an impending leadership coup back home. The two heavyweights were summoned to the capital by the Congress high command to thrash out a long-simmering power struggle that party bosses have desperately tried to keep under wraps. Insiders suggest that the central leadership is finally looking to draw a line under the persistent factional feud and public sniping that has plagued the state unit.
Yet, as they arrived at the party headquarters at Indira Bhawan, both men remained resolutely tight-lipped under a barrage of questions from reporters. Confronted with intense speculation about whether his job was on the line, Siddaramaiah merely shrugged it off, dryly remarking that such chatter is always there. The high-stakes meeting drew the party's ultimate power brokers, with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, General Secretary KC Venugopal, and spokesperson Randeep Surjewala all arriving at the venue to mediate a political deadlock that has dragged on for over a year.
Adding fuel to the fire, a caravan of state ministers known to be fiercely loyal to the Chief Minister — including Satish Jarkiholi, G Parameshwara, and HC Mahadevappa — also made the trip to Delhi. The timing of the crisis is hardly accidental; the Congress government marked exactly three years in office on May 20, a milestone that has naturally reignited internal debates over cabinet reshuffles and leadership rotating pacts. Siddaramaiah had told reporters on Monday that while Venugopal had called him out of the blue to demand his presence in Delhi, he had been left entirely in the dark regarding the specific agenda.
Shivakumar, who doubles as the state Congress chief, had initially played hard to get, telling the press he would only travel if explicitly ordered to do so. He eventually confirmed his departure with a cryptic nod to the gravity of the situation, stating that under certain circumstances, he simply had to go. When pressed on whether he was about to be anointed as the new Chief Minister, he quickly batted the question away, claiming he knew nothing about it and that it wasn't his job to speculate.
The underlying friction has been a fixture of Karnataka politics since the party swept to power in 2023. Shivakumar’s loyalists have consistently agitated for his promotion, pointing to an alleged backroom power-sharing deal struck during initial government formation, while Siddaramaiah has repeatedly countered that he fully intends to serve out his entire five-year mandate. Beyond the leadership question, party insiders hint that the high command is also using the sit-down to finalise candidates for four upcoming Rajya Sabha seats, alongside discussions on local electoral roll updates.
Meanwhile, there is palpable anxiety within the wider party rank and file that this endless game of thrones is beginning to paralyse state governance and tarnish the administration's public image. Complicating matters is a desperate scramble for cabinet berths, with backbench MLAs actively lobbying party bosses in Delhi for a reshuffle. Interestingly, the two leaders are split on this front as well; Siddaramaiah is keen to reshuffle his cabinet immediately, whereas Shivakumar wants the top job decided first. Commentators note that if the high command greenlights a cabinet refresh under the current structure, it will be a massive tactical victory for Siddaramaiah, signalling that he has been given a free hand to finish his term and effectively dashing Shivakumar's immediate ambitions.
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