Reports indicate Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah may resign to accept a Rajya Sabha seat, potentially making way for D.K. Shivakumar to lead the state.
A leadership transition in Karnataka would signal a shift in power within the state's Congress party, ending a prolonged internal struggle between the current chief minister and his potential successor.
Sources suggest the Congress high command in Delhi favors a transition to Shivakumar [1, 2]. This move follows a six-hour meeting [2] of the party leadership to discuss the state's governance. Under the reported plan, Siddaramaiah, who is 77 years old [3], would move into a national role via the Rajya Sabha to resolve the ongoing friction between the two leaders [1, 2].
Some reports indicate the resignation could occur as early as Wednesday or Thursday [2, 4]. Unnamed Congress sources said, "The entire high command was for transition to DK Shivakumar" [1].
However, the party's official stance contradicts these reports. K.C. Venugopal, the Congress General Secretary for Organization, denied that a change was imminent. "There is absolutely no question of changing the Chief Minister in Karnataka," Venugopal said [2, 4].
Conflicting accounts have also emerged regarding the identity of the successor. While most reports point to Shivakumar [1, 2], other sources suggest the party may instead appoint Mallikarjun Kharge as chief minister, with Venugopal potentially becoming the new Congress chief [4].
Despite the official denial from Venugopal, political observers continue to monitor the situation in Bengaluru following the high-level meetings in Delhi [1, 2].
“"The entire high command was for transition to DK Shivakumar."”
The contradiction between internal leaks and official denials suggests a volatile negotiation process within the Congress party. Moving a sitting chief minister to the Rajya Sabha is a common strategic maneuver to provide a 'face-saving' exit for senior leaders while elevating younger or more favored candidates to maintain regional stability.
