Power struggle in Karnataka? DK Shivakumar’s latest move puts Congress on edge
Karnataka Congress is witnessing a fresh churn as ten MLAs from Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s camp rushed to Delhi on Thursday, stepping up pressure on the party high command to implement the long-rumoured power-sharing formula. The dramatic escalation comes on a day the Siddaramaiah government marks 2.5 years in office — the midpoint around which talk of a leadership rotation has persisted since 2023.
This renewed turbulence follows Shivakumar’s surprising remarks on Wednesday, where he publicly hinted at stepping down as KPCC President, saying “others should also be given a chance.”
MLAs rush to Delhi
Shivakumar-aligned MLAs reached Delhi on Thursday seeking meetings with the Congress high command, India Today reported. They reportedly met party president Mallikarjun Kharge in the evening and will meet AICC general secretary KC Venugopal on Friday.
Meanwhile, Shivakumar claimed ignorance about the Delhi mobilisation.
“I don’t know. I don’t have that much information. I haven’t asked anyone. I don’t know anything,” he told reporters. He added, “I’m not feeling well. That’s why I haven’t left the house.”
When asked about CM Siddaramaiah saying that he would continue as Chief Minister, Shivakumar responded: “Very happy, who said no? No one has questioned who we are or whether he will be CM. The party has given us responsibility; we will work accordingly. We will all work together.”
The development comes barely 24 hours after the Deputy CM made his clearest public indication yet of wanting to relinquish the KPCC presidency.
At an event marking Indira Gandhi’s birth anniversary on Wednesday, he said, “I do not want to remain in the post of KPCC President forever. I took office as KPCC President in 2020. I have already completed five years and five months… I was ready to leave the post of KPCC President then, but I continued as instructed by the high command leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge. It will be six years next March 2026. Others should also be given a chance.”
He clarified, however, that stepping down would not diminish his role in party affairs. “It doesn’t matter whether I am here or not… Even if I leave the post, I will continue to work at the forefront of the leadership and the party... I have started 100 new party buildings… I will continue to work as long as the Gandhi family and the AICC president want me to.”
This was a sharp contrast to his earlier comment on November 16, when he rejected talk of resignation.
The developments have revived the long-standing question of whether Congress promised a 2.5-year rotational Chief Minister model between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. Although widely reported during government formation in 2023, the party never officially confirmed such an arrangement.