Karnataka Congress Working President Salim Ahmed said party leaders are under a gag order regarding the internal leadership crisis [1].
The restriction comes as the party navigates a power struggle between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar over who will lead the state [1, 2].
Speaking outside Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi, Ahmed said that party members are not authorized to comment on the dispute [1]. The tension centers on the succession and leadership hierarchy within the state unit, which has created visible friction between the two senior leaders [1, 2].
Despite the reported silence order, Ahmed denied that the party is fractured. "There are no camps within the Congress," Ahmed said [1].
The leadership tussle has reached the party's national level. Both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar traveled to Delhi for discussions with the party high command to resolve the conflict [2]. While Ahmed maintained that leaders cannot speak, the presence of both men in the capital suggests an active effort by the central leadership to mediate the rivalry [2].
"We cannot speak," Ahmed said when questioned about the crisis [1].
The situation highlights a recurring pattern of internal competition within the Karnataka Congress, where the balance of power between the chief minister and deputy chief minister often requires intervention from the national leadership to maintain stability [1, 2].
“"We cannot speak."”
The imposition of a gag order suggests that the Congress high command is attempting to contain public perception of instability while negotiating a power-sharing agreement in private. The fact that both senior leaders are in Delhi indicates that the resolution of the Karnataka leadership crisis is now being managed centrally to prevent a public split in the state government.
