"Today, we had a detailed meeting with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and LoP Rahul Gandhi. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, general secretary incharge of Karnataka (Randeep Singh Surjewala) and I were part of the discussion. The entire discussion was concentrated only on upcoming Rajya Sabha elections and Council Elections of Karnataka," Venugopal said
New Delhi: It was status quo in the leadership tussle in Karnataka, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah surviving the day after the Congress high command met the state leadership here on Tuesday. But the wheels of change have been set in motion by the high command, sources said.
Insiders claimed that the high command felt that it would be beneficial if the 2028 Assembly elections were fought under a new leader. When this change would take place was not clear. A leader said: “By all accounts Siddaramaiah is on his way out. It can be as early as next few days or next month. But a transition formula has to be reached before the transition takes place.”
The process of leadership change in the state would be a cumbersome process and require persuasion by the high command sources said. A transition process was being discussed in which Siddaramaiah would be given a larger role at the national level, perhaps elevated to the Rajya Sabha with a place in the AICC hierarchy. The options were being weighed by all key players.
The Congress officially termed as “speculation" reports about the possibility of leadership change in Karnataka and said that Tuesday’s meeting with Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar with the party leadership was to discuss the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls and Legislative Council elections in the state.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal said that party candidates for the Rajya Sabha seats in Karnataka will be announced along with candidates from other states. He said, "...Whatever speculation you people are doing is only speculation; no reality at all.”
He added, “Today, we had a detailed meeting with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and LoP Rahul Gandhi. CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar, general secretary incharge of Karnataka and I were part of the discussion. The discussion was concentrated only on upcoming Rajya Sabha elections and Council Elections of Karnataka.”
After the day-long meeting both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar left for Bangaluru late in the evening.
At the core of the leadership tangle in the southern state is Shivakumar's demand that he be elevated to the Chief Minister's post in accordance with a promise made to him during Assembly elections in 2023.
Last year in December, there were hectic parleys in the national capital regarding the change of Chief Minister but the party did not budge. Many within the party felt that the continuing leadership tussle was hurting the Congress. The question now was whether the high command would finally take a call or leave the issue hanging in the air once again.
