Congress High Command Moves to Settle Karnataka Leadership Rift
Sonia, Rahul, and Kharge to take final call as Siddaramaiah–Shivakumar tensions resurface.
The Congress leadership in New Delhi is once again working to ease tensions between Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar amid renewed speculation about a mid-term change of leadership.
Party president Mallikarjun Kharge said on Wednesday that the matter would soon be resolved, adding that the final decision would be taken by Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and himself after internal consultations. According to party sources, the central leadership aims to settle the issue before the Parliament session begins on December 1.
Speaking to ANI, Kharge said, “Only the people there can say what the government is doing. But I can assure you, we will resolve these issues. Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and I will sit together and discuss. We will provide whatever mediation is required.”
Amid the ongoing discussions, Rahul Gandhi reportedly sent a short WhatsApp message to Shivakumar, telling him: “Please wait, I will call you.”
The debate over leadership resurfaced as the Congress government completed half its five-year term on November 20. Shivakumar triggered fresh speculation when he mentioned that there had been a “secret deal between five or six of us” regarding power sharing. Party insiders claim such an agreement was reached in May 2023 at Kharge’s residence, with Siddaramaiah set to serve as Chief Minister for the first 2.5 years and Shivakumar for the remainder. Siddaramaiah is believed to have assured he would step down a week before completing his share of the term.
Although Siddaramaiah has repeatedly said he intends to serve the full five years, his stance appeared to soften after meeting Kharge on November 22. He later remarked that the “high command will decide.”
Shivakumar, speaking in Kanakapura, avoided escalating the matter and praised Siddaramaiah as a senior leader who had already served 7.5 years as Chief Minister across terms. Responding to questions, he said, “I don’t know. I have not asked to make me the CM. It is a secret deal between five and six of us. I don’t want to speak publicly on this. I believe in my conscience. We should work with our conscience. I don’t want to cause embarrassment to the party in any way. If the party is there, we are there.”
When asked about Siddaramaiah’s statement that he would present the next state budget as well, Shivakumar replied, “I’m very happy. He has strengthened the party as opposition leader. All of us should work together with the goal of the 2028 assembly elections and the 2029 Lok Sabha election.”
