Amid Leadership Buzz, Karnataka Congress Pushes For Multiple Deputy Chief Minister Formula: Sources

Last Updated:May 27, 2026, 08:52 IST

Speculation grows over Karnataka Congress leadership change, with talks on multiple Deputy CMs by community, as Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar deny any imminent transition

Speculation surrounding a possible leadership change in Karnataka Congress has gathered pace once again, with discussions now also centring around a potential formula involving multiple deputy chief ministers representing different communities in the state.

According to sources, talks are at an initial stage, but there is a push within sections of the party to consider appointing one deputy chief minister each from the Dalit, Minority, Lingayat and OBC communities.

The fresh political chatter comes ahead of a key breakfast meeting between Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar at the Chief Minister’s official residence ‘Kaveri’ in Bengaluru on Thursday morning.

The meeting is being closely watched amid continuing speculation over leadership changes within the Karnataka Congress unit.

CONGRESS CENTRAL LEADERSHIP HOLDS HIGH-LEVEL MEETING

The developments follow a high-level Congress meeting held in New Delhi on Tuesday, attended by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Karnataka Congress in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, along with Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.

According to news agency ANI, the proposed breakfast meeting has triggered renewed discussions within Karnataka Congress, even as the party leadership has repeatedly dismissed reports of any immediate leadership transition.

Speaking after the Delhi meeting, Venugopal maintained that the discussions focused only on the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections and Karnataka Legislative Council polls.

“Today, we had a detailed meeting with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and LoP Rahul Gandhi. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, general secretary in charge of Karnataka (Randeep Singh Surjewala), and I were part of the discussion. The entire discussion was concentrated only on the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections and Council Elections of Karnataka," he said.

Venugopal also termed reports of leadership change as “speculation" and said announcements regarding candidates for the Rajya Sabha and Council elections would be made along with those for other states.

LEADERSHIP CHANGE SPECULATION CONTINUES

Despite the official denials, PTI reported that the Congress leadership is likely to resolve the Karnataka leadership issue after the Rajya Sabha elections next month.

Sources told the agency that the party top brass, including Rahul Gandhi and Kharge, held several hours of discussions with Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, both jointly and separately, and may take a call on a possible change of guard after the polls.

According to PTI sources, the Congress leadership is learnt to have backed Shivakumar for the top post, and a change “may happen soon".

The report further stated that the Shivakumar camp has been pressing Siddaramaiah, 77, to step down from the chief minister’s post, while a formula involving a central role and a Rajya Sabha seat was reportedly discussed to accommodate the veteran leader.

However, Siddaramaiah is said not to have accepted the proposal.

At the centre of the tussle is Shivakumar’s long-standing demand that he be elevated as Chief Minister in line with what his supporters describe as a “promise" made during the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections.

His supporters have also repeatedly cited the age factor in Siddaramaiah’s case.

News india Amid Leadership Buzz, Karnataka Congress Pushes For Multiple Deputy Chief Minister Formula: Sources

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