Karnataka power shift? Congress leadership meets in Delhi fuel CM change buzz: What's happening
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Karnataka power shift? Congress leadership meets in Delhi fuel CM change buzz: What's happening")
File photo of Siddaramaiah. Photograph: (ANI)
Siddaramaiah may be offered a Rajya Sabha seat, while his son Yathindra Siddaramaiah could be accommodated in the cabinet. If carried out, the move would mirror recent developments in Bihar, where Nitish Kumar stepped down as CM and later moved to the Rajya Sabha.
Discussion over the change of leadership in Karnataka has gained renewed attention as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar have arrived in Delhi to meet the Congress leadership. However, the party has maintained the meeting to be a routine, but media reports suggest that the high command is in favour of a “transferring power” in Karnataka, where alternate routes have been planned for Siddaramaiah.
Since the Congress returned to power in Karnataka with a decisive victory in 2023, speculation over a rift or demands of possible leadership change within the party has repeatedly surfaced, with several party legislators reportedly backing DK Shivakumar for the CM's post.
Fresh political buzz now indicates that Siddaramaiah could step down, with the party leadership allegedly considering a Bihar-style political arrangement. According to sources familiar with the discussions, Siddaramaiah may be offered a Rajya Sabha seat, while his son Yathindra Siddaramaiah could be accommodated in the cabinet.
If carried out, the move would mirror recent developments in Bihar, where Nitish Kumar stepped down as chief minister and later moved to the Rajya Sabha, with his deputy Samrat Choudhary taking charge. Around the same time, Nitish Kumar’s son Nishant Kumar was appointed as Bihar’s health minister in Patna.
Shivakumar to be left waiting again?
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Even if CM Siddaramaiah joins the Rajya Sabha, deputy DK Shivakumar will still not take over the post of chief minister. According to HT, even if Congress manages to convince Siddaramaiah to take a way for the Rajya Sabha, he might not agree to see Shivakumar succeed him.
In that scenario, the Indian National Congress could project Mallikarjun Kharge as a consensus candidate for the chief minister’s post, while also paving the way for Rahul Gandhi to elevate K. C. Venugopal as the next party president and restructure the central organisation. “However, this remains the least likely option at the moment,” a leader familiar with the developments said. Notably, Venugopal had earlier been viewed as a strong contender for the chief minister’s role in Kerala, though V. D. Satheesan eventually emerged ahead in the race.
Sources indicated that Kharge, Venugopal and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Surjewala are all supportive of a possible “transfer of power” in Karnataka. After arriving in New Delhi, D. K. Shivakumar was asked by reporters whether he would take over as chief minister. While he declined to answer, he smiled at journalists before leaving in his car. At the same time, people aware of the political developments said supporters of Siddaramaiah are hoping Shivakumar assumes the top post now, loses the 2028 Assembly elections amid anticipated anti-incumbency sentiment in Karnataka, and consequently weakens his claim to future leadership.
