Congress faces leadership tussle in Karnataka right after Kerala headache
After surviving a bruising leadership tussle in Kerala, the Congress high command now finds itself dragged back into the power struggle in Karnataka. With growing calls for a Cabinet reshuffle by Siddaramaiah's faction, the Karnataka CM tussle between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar is back in the spotlight.
The road from Thiruvananthapuram to Bengaluru has become a stretch of political headaches for the Congress high command in New Delhi. After spending more than 10 days resolving Kerala's leadership deadlock, the party is now dealing with fresh drama in Karnataka, where Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar are locked in a tussle over the Karnataka CM post.
With the 2026 election season now over, Congress infighting has resurfaced, with a growing clamour for a Cabinet reshuffle by the Congress MLAs and the CM himself.
According to sources, Siddaramaiah has sought a meeting with the Congress high command and wants to discuss a possible Cabinet rejig with the high command, India Today TV's Nagarjun Dwarkanath reported.
In the meantime, DK Shivakumar, whose supporters have been pressing for him to take over as Chief Minister, has reportedly conveyed to the leadership that any decision should be taken only after addressing the alleged "2.5-year promise".
The Karnataka Congress's power struggle began the day Siddaramaiah took over as the head of the state government in 2023. Congress MLAs supporting DK Shivakumar claimed that there had been a 50-50 power-sharing deal between the two leaders with the high command. Despite periodic pauses and temporary truces, the battle for the chief minister's post never truly ended, resurfacing repeatedly through phases of political signalling and factional pressure.
The four-state and one Union Territory elections held in April had brought about a temporary ceasefire between the two factions within the Karnataka Congress. Now, the elections are over, the results are out, and the Congress high command has been relieved from its election duty, the simmering battle in Karnataka rages again.
THE KARNATAKA HEADACHE BEGINS FOR THE CONGRESS HIGH COMMAND
As the Karnataka government, led by Siddaramaiah, approached the halfway mark of the tenure in late 2025, pressure from DK Shivakumar's supporters intensified. Ministers, MLAs, and loyalists repeatedly visited Delhi, while rumours surrounding a "2.5-year formula" gained momentum.
But Siddaramaiah consistently maintained that he would complete a full five-year term, and there was no deal of power-sharing.
Now, the Siddaramaiah government is celebrating its third year in power, and reports of a cabinet reshuffle are making noise in Karnataka's power corridors.
According to political analysts, the cabinet reshuffle is a strategy by Siddaramaiah and his faction to consolidate authority and stay in power. Whereas DKS loyalists are pushing for clarity on leadership succession before any major reshuffle.
Karnataka minister Satish Jarkiholi's "the curtains will fall" statement on Tuesday has added more suspense over the leadership issue.
"They (high command) will call us to Delhi as soon as possible. Since it will be settled there, there is no need for me to say anything here. Yes, the curtain will fall," Jarkiholi said when asked regarding leadership change.
Senior Congress MLA KN Rajanna also claimed that informal discussions over a possible leadership change in Karnataka may have taken place on the sidelines of VD Satheesan's swearing-in ceremony in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday, where several senior Congress leaders had gathered. Rajanna introduced a third face for the tussle and appealed that the Home Minister of Karnataka, G Parameshwara, should be the next CM.
"If Siddaramaiah was to be replaced, G Parameshwara should be the next Chief Minister," Rajanna said.
Home Minister Parameshwara, replying to Rajanna's statement, said that everything would be decided by the "high command".
"Thank you, Rajanna. He is my classmate, and he speaks on my behalf. But you all know very well what the matter is. Everything will be decided by the high command," Parameshwara said.
DKS's REPLY TO RAJANNA ADDS ANOTHER LAYER TO THE 'RIFT'
When asked about Rajanna's CM change statement, DK Shivakumar on Wednesday said, "Why does Rajanna want to change the Chief Minister? With saying that Parameshwara should be the CM, Is Rajanna intending that CM Siddaramaiah should step down?"
"When did I ever say that the CM should be changed? I never said that. Rajanna is the one who wants to change the CM, ask him," Dk Shivakumar said.
"Whatever internal understanding exists between me and our CM is a different issue," Shivakumar asserted on rumours of his rift with Siddaramaiah.
The Congress leadership had temporarily parked the Karnataka issue while resolving Kerala's leadership battle. The Kerala conundrum appeared as there were three frontrunners for the CM's post: VD Satheeshan, Ramesh Chennithala, and KC Venugopal. But immediately after Satheesan's swearing-in, political attention shifted back to Bengaluru.
Shivakumar supporters are renewing pressure through public messaging, posters, and political signalling. Senior Karnataka leaders have resumed their Delhi visits, while speculation about cabinet changes and leadership adjustments intensified again.
The Karnataka crisis shows the growing factionalism in the state unit.
In Kerala, the Congress managed to impose discipline and project unity after days of visible factionalism. In Karnataka, however, the conflict remains unresolved, with neither Siddaramaiah nor Shivakumar showing signs of retreat.
For now, the Congress high command might have survived the Kerala-drama. But the Karnataka-Drama appears far from over.
The road from Thiruvananthapuram to Bengaluru has become a stretch of political headaches for the Congress high command in New Delhi. After spending more than 10 days resolving Kerala's leadership deadlock, the party is now dealing with fresh drama in Karnataka, where Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar are locked in a tussle over the Karnataka CM post.
With the 2026 election season now over, Congress infighting has resurfaced, with a growing clamour for a Cabinet reshuffle by the Congress MLAs and the CM himself.
According to sources, Siddaramaiah has sought a meeting with the Congress high command and wants to discuss a possible Cabinet rejig with the high command, India Today TV's Nagarjun Dwarkanath reported.
In the meantime, DK Shivakumar, whose supporters have been pressing for him to take over as Chief Minister, has reportedly conveyed to the leadership that any decision should be taken only after addressing the alleged "2.5-year promise".
The Karnataka Congress's power struggle began the day Siddaramaiah took over as the head of the state government in 2023. Congress MLAs supporting DK Shivakumar claimed that there had been a 50-50 power-sharing deal between the two leaders with the high command. Despite periodic pauses and temporary truces, the battle for the chief minister's post never truly ended, resurfacing repeatedly through phases of political signalling and factional pressure.
The four-state and one Union Territory elections held in April had brought about a temporary ceasefire between the two factions within the Karnataka Congress. Now, the elections are over, the results are out, and the Congress high command has been relieved from its election duty, the simmering battle in Karnataka rages again.
THE KARNATAKA HEADACHE BEGINS FOR THE CONGRESS HIGH COMMAND
As the Karnataka government, led by Siddaramaiah, approached the halfway mark of the tenure in late 2025, pressure from DK Shivakumar's supporters intensified. Ministers, MLAs, and loyalists repeatedly visited Delhi, while rumours surrounding a "2.5-year formula" gained momentum.
But Siddaramaiah consistently maintained that he would complete a full five-year term, and there was no deal of power-sharing.
Now, the Siddaramaiah government is celebrating its third year in power, and reports of a cabinet reshuffle are making noise in Karnataka's power corridors.
According to political analysts, the cabinet reshuffle is a strategy by Siddaramaiah and his faction to consolidate authority and stay in power. Whereas DKS loyalists are pushing for clarity on leadership succession before any major reshuffle.
Karnataka minister Satish Jarkiholi's "the curtains will fall" statement on Tuesday has added more suspense over the leadership issue.
"They (high command) will call us to Delhi as soon as possible. Since it will be settled there, there is no need for me to say anything here. Yes, the curtain will fall," Jarkiholi said when asked regarding leadership change.
Senior Congress MLA KN Rajanna also claimed that informal discussions over a possible leadership change in Karnataka may have taken place on the sidelines of VD Satheesan's swearing-in ceremony in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday, where several senior Congress leaders had gathered. Rajanna introduced a third face for the tussle and appealed that the Home Minister of Karnataka, G Parameshwara, should be the next CM.
"If Siddaramaiah was to be replaced, G Parameshwara should be the next Chief Minister," Rajanna said.
Home Minister Parameshwara, replying to Rajanna's statement, said that everything would be decided by the "high command".
"Thank you, Rajanna. He is my classmate, and he speaks on my behalf. But you all know very well what the matter is. Everything will be decided by the high command," Parameshwara said.
DKS's REPLY TO RAJANNA ADDS ANOTHER LAYER TO THE 'RIFT'
When asked about Rajanna's CM change statement, DK Shivakumar on Wednesday said, "Why does Rajanna want to change the Chief Minister? With saying that Parameshwara should be the CM, Is Rajanna intending that CM Siddaramaiah should step down?"
"When did I ever say that the CM should be changed? I never said that. Rajanna is the one who wants to change the CM, ask him," Dk Shivakumar said.
"Whatever internal understanding exists between me and our CM is a different issue," Shivakumar asserted on rumours of his rift with Siddaramaiah.
The Congress leadership had temporarily parked the Karnataka issue while resolving Kerala's leadership battle. The Kerala conundrum appeared as there were three frontrunners for the CM's post: VD Satheeshan, Ramesh Chennithala, and KC Venugopal. But immediately after Satheesan's swearing-in, political attention shifted back to Bengaluru.
Shivakumar supporters are renewing pressure through public messaging, posters, and political signalling. Senior Karnataka leaders have resumed their Delhi visits, while speculation about cabinet changes and leadership adjustments intensified again.
The Karnataka crisis shows the growing factionalism in the state unit.
In Kerala, the Congress managed to impose discipline and project unity after days of visible factionalism. In Karnataka, however, the conflict remains unresolved, with neither Siddaramaiah nor Shivakumar showing signs of retreat.
For now, the Congress high command might have survived the Kerala-drama. But the Karnataka-Drama appears far from over.
