“Currently, no meeting of the Legislature Party has been called and no decision has been taken yet,” Surjewala said, even as political chatter intensified following a series of high-level meetings involving the Congress leadership in New Delhi.
Also Read | “We’ll talk about it tomorrow:” Siddaramaiah maintains stoic silence amongst leadership change reports
The grand old party leader added that the party was fully capable of deciding its leadership matters internally and would communicate any decision whenever it was formally taken.
“Congress is capable of deciding on leadership. We will inform whenever we decide,” he said.
The remarks came even as Siddaramaiah maintained a guarded silence over the ongoing speculation surrounding Karnataka’s political future. Speaking at an event at the Vidhana Soudha, the Chief Minister avoided directly addressing the leadership debate.
However, when specifically asked about discussions with the Congress high-command, the Karnataka Chief Minister briefly replied, “We will talk about it tomorrow.”Also Read | Karnataka leadership tussle: Siddaramaiah to meet DK Shivakumar over breakfast tomorrow
The statement has further fuelled political curiosity ahead of a key breakfast meeting between Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar at the Chief Minister’s official residence ‘Kaveri’ in Bengaluru on Thursday.
According to media reports, any future transition could also be accompanied by a cabinet reshuffle and organisational changes within the Karnataka Congress as the party attempts to maintain a balance between competing factions in the state unit.
Leadership speculation returns
The renewed buzz over Karnataka’s leadership emerged after a series of meetings between senior state leaders and the Congress high command in Delhi over the past week.
Party insiders said top leaders held separate discussions with both Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar amid growing speculation over a possible transition in the state’s leadership structure.
The issue traces its roots back to the Congress’ sweeping victory over the BJP in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections, after which Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar both emerged as frontrunners for the chief minister’s post.
Following intense negotiations and consultations in the national capital, the party’s leadership eventually picked Siddaramaiah as Chief Minister, while Shivakumar was appointed Deputy Chief Minister.
Since then, speculation surrounding a possible rotational chief minister arrangement has remained a recurring theme in the corridors of Karnataka’s politics, although the Congress high-command has never officially acknowledged any such formula.
Over the past several months, meanwhile, leaders aligned with both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have repeatedly made public statements backing their respective camps, turning the succession question into one of the Congress’ most closely watched internal issues.
The debate gained fresh momentum as the Karnataka government approached the halfway mark of its tenure, triggering renewed political chatter over whether the Congress leadership could eventually hand over the reins to Shivakumar.
