Siddaramaiah to resign? Congress eyes leadership change in Karnataka
The Congress high command has reportedly asked Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to step down and take up a larger role in national politics through the Rajya Sabha, several media reports said, quoting party sources.
The move, according to reports, is part of ongoing discussions over Karnataka’s future leadership and could pave the way for Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar to eventually take over as Chief Minister.
Congress offers Rajya Sabha seat, bigger Delhi role
Sources told India Today that the party leadership has offered Siddaramaiah a Rajya Sabha berth from Karnataka along with a “bigger role” in Delhi.
During discussions, the Congress leadership reportedly assured him that “all other things and his issue will be taken care of”.
The development came after a high-level meeting at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi attended by Siddaramaiah, DK Shivakumar, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, party general secretary K. C. Venugopal, and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Surjewala.
Congress denies leadership change talks
Speaking to reporters after the nearly two-hour meeting, Venugopal dismissed speculation about a leadership transition.
“Today’s discussion was only around Rajya Sabha polls and MLC elections. Whatever you speculated is not true,” he said, adding that the meeting focused solely on upcoming electoral matters in Karnataka.
Power-sharing formula back in spotlight
Despite the public denial, the meeting has reignited speculation over the Congress’s reported power-sharing arrangement in Karnataka.
After the Congress’s emphatic win in the 2023 Assembly elections, both Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar had staked claim to the Chief Minister’s post.
The party eventually chose Siddaramaiah after days of intense negotiations.
However, reports at the time suggested Shivakumar agreed to the arrangement only after the leadership worked out an informal rotational formula under which Siddaramaiah would serve as Chief Minister for the first 2.5 years, before Shivakumar potentially took over for the remaining term.
The Congress has never officially confirmed such an agreement.
Rajya Sabha elections ahead
The formal agenda of Tuesday’s meeting was the upcoming Rajya Sabha and Karnataka Legislative Council elections.
Four Rajya Sabha seats from Karnataka are set to fall vacant, with the Congress expected to win three seats and the BJP likely to secure one.
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