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Siddaramiah’s son dismisses leadership change talk
Karnataka's political leadership faces uncertainty as Congress leaders diverge in views, but Yathindra Siddaramaiah insists no change is imminent.
Uncertainty over Karnataka’s political leadership resurfaced this week as senior Congress figures offered sharply different public tones, even while one of them insisted the question of who will lead the government has effectively been settled.
Yathindra Siddaramaiah, a Member of the Legislative Council and son of chief minister Siddaramaiah, said the party’s central leadership had clearly signalled that there would be no change at the top and that the chief minister would complete the full five-year term. Speaking in Mysuru, he characterised speculation about a leadership transition as largely a creation of media discourse rather than internal party debate.
“No one is discussing it in political circles other than the media. It is a settled issue. There are other issues to focus on in the state. The budget is coming up. The financial situation is such that we are not getting the revenue like in the past. The central government is not properly giving the state’s share of funds. So we need to focus on that,” he said.
Yathindra suggested that while the party leadership may not have made a formal public declaration, its intent was evident. “According to me, the high command might not have said it openly, but have given a clear signal that there will not be any leadership change. So I believe that Siddaramaiah will be the CM for five years,” he said. Asked whether the matter could be treated as resolved, he added, “It appears so now. No one has said that Siddaramaiah should be removed or will be removed.”
His remarks came as Siddaramaiah began formal preparations for the 2026–27 State Budget, a process party leaders point to as evidence of administrative continuity. On Thursday, the chief minister, who also holds the finance portfolio, conducted the first in a series of department-wise consultations at Vidhana Soudha, reviewing the performance and financial requirements of the Forest and Environment Department. The meetings are part of a broader pre-budget exercise intended to determine spending priorities for the coming fiscal year.
The political undercurrent, however, has persisted since the government passed the midpoint of its term on November 20, 2025. Discussion of a possible leadership rotation has been linked to a reported power-sharing understanding between Siddaramaiah and deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar when the Congress formed the government in 2023.
Shivakumar responded to Yathindra’s assertions with pointed irony while declining to directly contest them. “Yathindra is our high command, and let’s accept what he says very respectfully. Once he has said, it’s like the high command had said. Let’s accept Yathindra as the high command. I don’t want to react to Yathindra or Basavaraj. If anyone has to react, our Delhi leaders will have to react,” he told reporters in Mangaluru. A day earlier, he had said he was confident the party leadership would summon him to New Delhi whenever any “political decision” on the leadership issue was made.
Yathindra also addressed legal proceedings tied to the Mysuru Urban Development Authority’s allotment of residential sites, a case that had drawn attention because it involved the chief minister and his wife, B. M. Parvathi. A special court in Bengaluru recently accepted a closure report filed by the Karnataka Lokayukta police in connection with the allotment of 14 sites to Parvathi, effectively clearing those named of wrongdoing at this stage.
“Since the time when the allegations regarding the alleged MUDA scam surfaced, I have been saying that there is no scam and it is a false allegation out of political malice, and the truth that I have been saying has ultimately won,” Yathindra said. He cautioned that further legal steps were possible. “The case is not over yet. B report has been accepted by the court, but there may be an appeal. Let’s see.”
