DK Shivakumar Will Become Karnataka CM on January 6, 2026: Congress MLA Iqbal Hussain
Statement sparks fresh speculation on leadership change as Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar head to Delhi.
Bengaluru: Congress MLA from Ramanagara and a close aide of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, Iqbal Hussain, on Saturday claimed that Shivakumar would take over as the Chief Minister of Karnataka on January 6, 2026.
Reacting to the statement, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said in Lakshmeshwar that he would abide only by the decision of the Congress high command. “I will listen only to what the high command says,” he remarked.
A visibly uncomfortable Shivakumar, who is also the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, distanced himself from the claim. Speaking to reporters at Devanahalli, he said, “I don’t believe what Iqbal has said. He has a habit of making such statements. Action should be taken against him.” Notably, Hussain had earlier been served a show-cause notice by the party for making a similar statement in support of Shivakumar becoming chief minister.
Hussain’s remarks came just ahead of Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar’s visit to New Delhi to participate in the Congress’ ‘vote chori’ rally on Sunday, along with senior party leaders.
Despite the leadership’s pushback, the statement triggered renewed political buzz within the Congress, particularly among Shivakumar’s supporters. Some party circles speculated that the high command may summon both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar on December 21 or 22 to discuss the leadership issue. By then, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is expected to return to Delhi after a five-day visit to Germany, where he is scheduled to address an Indian Overseas Congress rally in Berlin on December 17.
Doubling down on his claim, Hussain told reporters in Ramanagara, “I have said this before and I am saying it again. There is a 99 per cent chance that D K Shivakumar will become chief minister on January 6 or January 9, 2026.” When asked about the basis for the dates, he said they were lucky numbers for Shivakumar.
Hussain also dismissed a recent statement by MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah, son of the chief minister, who had said that Siddaramaiah would complete a full five-year term. Calling it irrelevant, Hussain said that many MLAs and people in the state want Shivakumar to be given a chance.
“There are no factions in the party. Both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar are assets to Congress. Our only demand is that Shivakumar’s struggle and hard work should be rewarded,” he added, while reiterating that Congress is a disciplined party and will follow the high command’s decision.
