Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday downplayed the ongoing tussle between Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar over the chief ministerial post, asserting that the party will resolve the confusion as soon as possible.
Kharge responds to speculations
Speaking to reporters, Kharge dismissed speculations about him taking over as chief minister, stating that Sonia Gandhi makes decisions regarding his role. He said, “You (media), he (state minister G Parameshwara) and people at the top say that it is better if I become (the chief minister). But, more than fate, as per my ideology and as per my service to the party so far, Sonia Gandhi takes decisions regarding me.”
Kharge added, “But, that question does not arise now. There is already a chief minister here. If Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and I, together, have to take any decision in the direction of a change, it will take some time. Let's wait and see.”
Background of the leadership tussle
The comment comes a day after Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said that everyone in the ruling Congress party would welcome it if Kharge, a senior politician with vast experience, becomes the chief minister. Supporters of Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar have been insisting on his elevation in line with a rumoured power-sharing agreement with CM Siddaramaiah when the party won the 2023 assembly polls.
A power struggle between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar intensified after the Congress government in Karnataka completed its halfway mark in November last year. Several MLAs and MLCs from the Shivakumar camp camped in Delhi to push the party high command to make him the next chief minister.
Shivakumar hints at power pact
DK Shivakumar added to the speculations after he claimed that there had indeed been “a confidential understanding on leadership transition among five-six leaders” soon after Congress won a landslide in the 2023 elections. The deputy chief minister made the first reference to the power pact but stopped short of divulging more details, saying, “This is confidential. I don’t want to speak publicly on this.”
The leadership tussle within the ruling party has intensified amid speculation about a possible change of chief minister after the Congress government completed the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20, 2025. The speculation has been fuelled by the reported “power-sharing” arrangement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar at the time of government formation in 2023.
After Congress won in Karnataka assembly in 2023, the party high command was in a fix over the CM face. After days of deliberation, the party went ahead with Siddaramaiah's name given his seniority and popularity. However, an agreement was reportedly reached that DK Shivakumar would take over the reins in the second half of the government.
