There had been back-to-back meetings in Delhi with AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC general secretaries KC Venugopal and RS Surjewala with Karnataka’s top two leaders.
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A few senior Congress ministers including G Parameshwar, KJ George and HC Mahadevappa accompanied the CM in what appeared to be a show of strength in favour of Siddaramaiah. The Dy CM is said to have argued his case with Gandhi.
Siddaramaiah is 77 now and will be 79 by the time the Congress faces the assembly polls in 2028, while Shivakumar is 13-year younger.
Venugopal, speaking to the media, dismissed the news of a possible leadership change as media speculation, and claimed that the discussions centered around the upcoming Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections. But the closed-door meetings suggested that the AICC leadership discussed something far more pressing that needed quick resolution.
Unconfirmed reports said the party offered a Rajya Sabha seat to Siddaramaiah in return for stepping down, but the CM is said to have declined to shift to national politics. The reports added that the party offered a few options to Siddaramaiah for which he has not immediately responded.The AICC leaders are said to have stressed with the CM on the need to honour the power sharing formula Gandhi brokered in May 2023 after the assembly polls, conveying the leadership’s wish.
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Sources said when the government completed half its term in November, Siddaramaiah expressed a desire to set the record of being the longest serving CM of the state and of presenting a record number of state budgets. The party high command allowed him to fulfill those wishes.
Shivakumar had earlier broadly hinted at his claim to the CM’s post as Siddaramaiah approached the halfway mark of his tenure. He had also referred to a “secret” arrangement known to five or six top leaders ahead of Siddaramaiah’s swearing-in as chief minister in May 2023.
The AICC leaders, sources say, are said to be keen to see that the transition is smooth and without drama as Karnataka is too important a state for the party. The CM returned to Bengaluru on Tuesday night after a meeting with his close ministers in Delhi.
The high command is unlikely to do anything in haste and may even be helpless if Siddaramaiah refuses to make way for Shivakumar.
Shivakumar, a prominent Vokkaliga leader who has won from the Kanakapura taluk eight times, has been staking his claim to the CM’s post since Siddaramaiah completed 30 months in office in November 2025.
Meanwhile, a section of Dalit ministers is also pushing for a Dalit CM, arguing that if the leadership thinks a change is necessary now, then it should consider a Dalit leader for the position.
Leaders in Siddaramaiah’s camp are also seen to be backing Dalit leaders such as Parameshwara and Ramesh Jarkiholi in the event the AICC opts for a leadership change ahead of the 2028 Assembly elections.
