Congress's Karnataka Conundrum Continues As Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar Camps Stoke Leadership Tussle

Last Updated:July 12, 2025, 07:30 IST

Despite clear instructions from the Congress high command to keep internal matters out of the public eye, political messaging has not stopped

With Siddaramaiah asserting that he will serve a full five-year term and Shivakumar carefully toeing the party line, the battle for the top post continues to simmer just beneath the surface. (File pic/PTI)

Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar may have publicly stepped away from any talk of replacing CM Siddaramaiah, but his camp hasn’t backed off. The push for a leadership change in Karnataka is very much alive, even if it now moves through whispers and strategic signals rather than open statements.

With Siddaramaiah asserting that he will serve a full five-year term and Shivakumar carefully toeing the party line, the battle for the top post continues to simmer just beneath the surface.

Despite clear instructions from the Congress high command to keep internal matters out of the public eye, political messaging has not stopped.

“We have expressed our opinion to the Delhi leadership. They know and are observing everything," said a senior leader considered close to Shivakumar.

What makes the leadership tussle particularly sensitive is Siddaramaiah’s positioning. He is the Congress party’s only OBC chief minister in the country. Removing him—especially ahead of this year’s Bihar elections, where the backward class vote is crucial—could send the wrong message.

Adding to this is the Congress high command’s move to appoint Siddaramaiah to the newly constituted national advisory council on backward classes. The first meeting of the AICC advisory council, which includes top OBC leaders from across India, is scheduled to take place in Bengaluru on July 15.

Siddaramaiah’s inclusion in the influential Other Backward Classes (OBC) panel is being seen by his camp as more than just symbolic—it’s viewed as a reinforcement of his political standing within the party.

Supporters of both leaders are manoeuvring carefully, and several MLAs have come out in support of deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar—some voicing their opinions despite the party’s diktat.

Those who support Shivakumar say that their stand on him taking over the reins as CM has not changed.

“The demand that there has to be a change in guard as decided as part of the power-sharing pact must be honoured. Naturally both leaders have supporters; change in the leadership is expected, and the high command will take a call. It is imminent that it will happen," said a leader who did not want to be named.

Senior Congress leader and former Karnataka minister Tanveer Sait recently dropped a subtle hint about a possible leadership change in the state, saying it was time for the party to consider bringing in new faces. While he clarified that individual opinions should not be interpreted as dissent, the message was hard to miss.

Shivakumar loyalists are also quietly planning trips to Delhi, hoping to ensure their voices are heard and to press their case for a change, even while insisting in public that nothing is being said aloud.

Senior minister Ramalinga Reddy told News18, “The Congress government will complete its full five-year term, and Siddaramaiah will remain CM for the entire duration. That’s been made clear by the CM himself."

Shivakumar, on his part, has steered clear of the leadership debate. “The party has given me organisational responsibilities and the deputy CM post. My focus is to fulfil those responsibilities," he said.

“I will not comment on the topic of leadership change. Mallikarjun Kharge has given me ‘dheekshe’, and I have accepted it with happiness," Shivakumar added when asked about the CM issue.

Congress MLA CP Yogeshwar from Channapatna also recently threw his weight behind Shivakumar. “All our district MLAs are united in wanting DK to become chief minister. There’s no disagreement on this. It’s now up to the high command to decide," he said, adding to the growing chorus within the Karnataka Congress in favour of Shivakumar.

Shivakumar also expressed frustration over repeated questions from the media. “When an answer has already been given, it’s not right to keep repeating it. There’s no need to comment again and again," he said.

The central leadership, along with Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala, has directed senior state leaders to refrain from commenting publicly on internal matters. But with both factions signalling strength through indirect means, those instructions haven’t entirely held ground.

Siddaramaiah, who built his political base on the AHINDA plank (minorities, backward classes, and Dalits), remains a key OBC face for the Congress at the national level.

He has been emphatic. “Am I not the chief minister now? Where is the vacancy?" he said, speaking to reporters in Delhi. “DK Shivakumar himself has clarified, and I am repeating it—there is no vacancy."

While the Shivakumar camp is believed to be pushing for a change in the CM post, there are also murmurs from the Siddaramaiah camp calling for a change in the state unit leadership. Shivakumar, who has served as KPCC chief since July 2020, is understood to have told the high command that his role is crucial in preparing the party for local body elections and long-term state planning. But for nearly eight months, Siddaramaiah’s camp has been lobbying for a new KPCC president, arguing that a separation of powers is overdue.

This internal tussle surfaced just as Randeep Singh Surjewala began one-on-one meetings with MLAs—a move being seen, particularly by the Siddaramaiah camp, as an exercise to assess where loyalties lie.

According to Congress insiders, those meetings were interpreted by some as a quiet review of Siddaramaiah’s leadership. The very next day, the CM publicly declared that he would serve the full five-year term—a pointed message to the party leadership.

Siddaramaiah also brushed off any talk of a mid-term pact. “If there was such an agreement, would I be saying I’ll remain CM for five years? This is just speculation being floated in the media," he said.

On growing support for Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah added, “One or two MLAs might have said something out of personal admiration. But that’s their view, not the party’s. In fact, many more MLAs have asked that I continue."

Asked about Siddaramaiah’s remark that only a few MLAs support him, Shivakumar responded, “I do what the party wants. He has answered the question already; there’s no point in me repeating it." When pushed further, he added, “Many among you may also want that (me as CM). But I don’t wish to comment."

He also made it clear where he stands. “I am only here because the party exists. Without the party, I have no existence," he said.

Asked about what was discussed during his meetings with the high command, Shivakumar said they were focused on accommodating loyal party workers. “We have to give positions to those who worked hard during the elections, at the taluk and district levels," he said, adding that the list would be sent again to Delhi for approval.

Rohini Swamy

Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor at News18, has been a journalist for nearly two decades in the television and digital space. She covers south India for News18’s digital platform. She has previously worked with t...Read More

Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor at News18, has been a journalist for nearly two decades in the television and digital space. She covers south India for News18’s digital platform. She has previously worked with t...

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News politics Congress's Karnataka Conundrum Continues As Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar Camps Stoke Leadership Tussle