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Mallikarjun Kharge, not DK Shivakumar to be CM if Siddaramaiah steps away? Inside Karnataka tussle
This move will also clear the way for Rahul Gandhi to push KC Venugopal as the next party chief.
Amid speculation that Karnataka Chief Minister K Siddaramaiah could be offered a Rajya Sabha seat as part of a plan to step down, people familiar with the matter told HT that he may “not be willing” to accept his deputy DK Shivakumar as his successor.
In that scenario, the party may consider Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as a compromise candidate for the chief minister’s post. This arrangement could also allow Rahul Gandhi to position KC Venugopal as the next party president, allowing a broader organisational reshuffle at the Centre.
“However, this is the most remote option as of now,” said a leader aware of developments, as stated in an earlier HT report.
What is the chief minister being offered?
As the leadership tussle intensifies in the state, the Congress is reportedly considering a Bihar-style formula to resolve the issue.
According to people familiar with the matter, Siddaramaiah could be offered the following in return for stepping aside:
- A Rajya Sabha seat for Siddaramaiah
- A potential cabinet position for his son Yathindra
Why Rajya Sabha option is being explored now
After the 2023 Assembly election win, reports suggested that a power-sharing arrangement was agreed upon under which DK Shivakumar would take over as chief minister after Siddaramaiah completed half of his term, or 2.5 years. That halfway point was reached in November 2025, but no leadership transition took place.
The Congress government in the state completed three years on May 20.
Now, to facilitate what was agreed upon, a more central position for Siddaramaiah is being put forward to let Shivakumar take the top post. Four RS seats, including that of Kharge, are going to the polls from Karnataka in June, with Congress confident of winning at least three.
However, as reported above, Siddaramaiah is not in favour of Shivakumar succeeding him.
Why Siddaramaiah might not revolt?
Conversation around leadership buzz was also raised earlier when Siddaramaiah completed half his tenure in November. The breakfast meetings between the leaders did not lead to a conclusion with the former urging the latter to take over the chief minister post after the next Assembly elections in the state in 2028, sources had told.
Given the current situation, there are several reasons why the chief minister may not resist the proposed change.
First being that Siddaramaiah – the party’s only Other Backward Classes (OBC) CM – commands a larger number of lawmakers but every legislator is aware of the poor ratings of the government.
“There is a feeling that if things are allowed to continue, the party will have a very low chance of coming back in the 2028 assembly elections,” said a leader aware of details, requesting anonymity.
Second, leaders in the Siddaramaiah camp are reportedly vouching for Shivakumar to fight the 2028 assembly elections, when a strong anti-incumbency wave is expected in Karnataka, which they believe could weaken his chances and, in turn, his leadership claims.
Two leaders met Congress top brass
The speculations came forward after the two leaders of the state met the Congress top leadership in New Delhi on Tuesday.
While the party claimed that no discussions were held on power sharing, and only upcoming Rajya Sabha polls were discussed, people aware of the matter told HT that the high command is in favour of a “transfer of power” in Karnataka, with alternate routes planned for Siddaramaiah.
“All three decision makers– party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, general secretary in-charge of organisation KC Venugopal, and state incharge Randeep Surjewala, favour a transfer of power,” said a party leader aware of the details.
Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge also said the Delhi consultations were connected to discuss the Rajya Sabha seats. “The high command has called the chief minister and the deputy chief minister to discuss the Rajya Sabha seats. We also have a lot of MLC seats that are opening up in less than 15-20 days. So they will discuss with the high command about that,” Priyank Kharge said.
After the invitation was extended, Siddaramaiah noted that while he was invited to New Delhi, he wasn't aware of the subject.
“I’m invited to Delhi. Tomorrow there is a meeting by 11 am. I don’t know the subject. But, I’m invited. Last night, K C Venugopal called me and informed me about the date and the meeting,” Siddaramaiah told reporters in Bengaluru.
Deputy CM Shivakumar said, “During a certain situation, I will have to go, I’m going.”
Second Siddaramaiah-Shivakumar breakfast meeting
Amid the speculations, Siddaramaiah has called upon Shivakumar for a breakfast meeting on Thursday at his residence in Kaveri. What comes next of this is yet to be known. The deputy CM will be flying from New Delhi tomorrow morning at 5:45 am to reach Bengaluru at 8:30 am. The two leaders will meet for the meal at 9 am.
