Amid ongoing speculation regarding leadership changes in Karnataka, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge confirmed that the matter will be addressed after discussions with senior leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. “The high command—myself, Rahul ji, and Sonia ji will together take a decision on the issue and resolve it,” Kharge stated to PTI when asked about the potential leadership shift.
As the Congress government marked two and a half years in office, speculation surrounding leadership changes intensified. Supporters of Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar have been vocal in their demands for him to assume the role of Chief Minister. The situation has been referred to as the “November revolution” by some party members.
Reports following the Congress victory in the 2023 Karnataka assembly elections indicated that a compromise had been reached between Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah based on a “rotational chief minister formula.” This formula purportedly outlined that Shivakumar would take over from Siddaramaiah after two and a half years; however, the party has officially denied these claims.
Recently, Siddaramaiah articulated his intention to serve the full five-year term, pending the Congress high command’s decision. Meanwhile, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge dismissed suggestions that his father, Mallikarjun Kharge, should be considered for the Chief Minister role as “irrelevant.”
Speculation intensified as party MLAs began seeking meetings with the leadership. Siddaramaiah expressed that it was the responsibility of the party high command to clarify the situation and eliminate any confusion. Minister Satish Jarkiholi echoed support for Siddaramaiah, indicating that he had requested the high command to address the leadership matter as soon as possible. Jarkiholi noted that there are currently no discussions about a leadership change within the party.
Shivakumar, however, insisted that the party remains united and is focused on upcoming elections in 2028 and 2029. He acknowledged a “secret deal” among several party members concerning power-sharing but refrained from discussing details publicly. “Whatever is there, party issues, we will discuss within four walls. I will not discuss any political issues in the media,” he asserted.
On the topic of communication from Rahul Gandhi, Shivakumar stated, “What Rahul Gandhi has communicated to me is not a matter to be discussed before the media.” He proclaimed the party’s objective is to secure victory in Karnataka in 2028 and achieve national success in the 2029 elections, aiming to position Rahul Gandhi as Prime Minister.
In contrast, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has intensified its critique of Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah. The opposition party has utilized AI-generated videos posted on social media to mock the two Congress leaders. BJP state president BY Vijayendra urged for Siddaramaiah to either resign and call for elections or ensure clarity regarding the chief ministership before the legislative session in Belagavi, which is set to begin on December 8. “Let them postpone the session or if they are unable to handle the situation, resign and declare the election,” he asserted.
