As the Karnataka government approaches its two-and-a-half-year mark this November, political circles have been working overtime over whether the Congress high command will initiate a leadership transition in the state. The chatter intensified after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah travelled to Delhi and met Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi. He is also scheduled to meet with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on November 17.
Senior Congress sources, however, indicate that Siddaramaiah’s meeting with Kharge is expected to be purely a courtesy call. Top leaders are reportedly unwilling to revisit the issue of leadership change at this juncture. “The high command does not want to rock the boat right now. Removing Siddaramaiah would do exactly that,” a senior functionary said.
Those close to Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar remain confident that a transition is on the horizon and that he will replace Siddaramaiah “sooner rather than later.” But when asked what Shivakumar’s role would be if the high command chooses continuity, a senior leader responded that the KPCC chief is “a Congressman first” and will ultimately fall in line with the party’s decision.
Shivakumar recently issued a public statement that he would not resort to “blackmail” to become Chief Minister. But many within his camp believe that he is growing restless at the lack of progress in any conversation about a change of leadership.
Sources in Delhi acknowledged concerns within the party over Siddaramaiah’s hold on the administration. Some senior leaders believe his grip has weakened, but they maintain that the immediate aftermath of the Congress’ loss in Bihar is not the moment to trigger another political churn. “Any serious conversation will begin only after January. Rahul Gandhi will be abroad for the rest of the year, and except for his LoP responsibilities, he is unlikely to engage in meetings on other issues,” a senior leader said.
There have been reports that Siddaramaiah hopes to complete at least three years in office, allowing him to surpass Devaraj Urs as Karnataka’s longest-serving chief minister. Meanwhile, leaders aligned with Shivakumar continue to press the case that he should be given his “rightful due” once the government crosses the two-and-a-half-year threshold.
Both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have publicly denied any impending shake-up, projecting unity even as internal jostling intensifies behind the scenes.
