Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during a programme at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Thursday.
| Photo Credit: ALLEN EGENUSE J.
The Congress high command, which has remained largely silent till now on the tussle over the Chief Minister’s post and power sharing, has decided to call for a meeting of senior leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, in New Delhi, to put an end to the uncertainty on leadership change in Karnataka.
Before leaving for Delhi on Thursday, All India Congress Committee president Mallikarjun Kharge said he would call a meeting of senior leaders for a negotiated settlement of the issue of sharing of power, as the ongoing differences seemed to have dented the image of the party and the government.
Sources in the Congress indicated that Mr. Siddaramaiah and Mr. Shivakumar were expected to leave for Delhi on Friday (November 28).
Meeting on Saturday?
The crucial meeting is expected to be held on Saturday. It would be attended by Mr. Kharge, Mr. Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, MP, AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala and AICC general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal.
They are expected to take a decision to end speculations about the Chief Minister change in the State after the government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20.
Replying to questions on whether Mr. Siddaramaiah and Mr. Shivakumar would be called to the national capital, Mr. Kharge said, “We should certainly call them and discuss. We will call them, discuss with them and settle the issue…. I will call everyone and discuss. Rahul Gandhi will be part of it, and also other members, including the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister. After discussing with everyone, a decision will be made,” the AICC chief added.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister said, “I will go to Delhi if the high command calls.” Mr. Shivakumar also said he would go to the national capital if summoned by the AICC.
To prepare a plan of action, the Chief Minister reportedly held a meeting with his loyal Ministers, including G. Parameshwara, Satish Jarkiholi, H.C. Mahadevappa, and K. Venkatesh, at his residence on Thursday.
It is believed that Ministers owing allegiance to him told Mr. Siddaramaiah to be ready for a show of strength, use AHINDA card and offer explanation on possible vote bank loss to the party, to the central leaders if the need arose.
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar speaks to a news agency in Bengaluru on Thursday.
| Photo Credit:
PTI
Many parleys
Meanwhile, in what appears to be a desperate move, the KPCC chief has been holding parleys with loyalists of the Chief Minister. In the last couple of days, he had met Ministers B. Z. Zameer Ahmed, Satish Jarkiholi, K.J. George, and many MLAs who are identified as close to the Chief Minister.
Sources claimed that Mr. Shivakumar had told the Ministers loyal to Mr. Siddaramaiah that they would be “looked after well” after he became the Chief Minister and sought their support to secure the top post.
However, Ministers Laxmi Hebbalkar, Dinesh Gundu Rao,B.Z. Zameer Ahmed, K.J. George, and H.K. Patil said the ball was in the high command’s court. They would abide by its decision.
Actor Ramya, a former Congress MP, also said the high command would decide the matter. “Somebody who is capable of solving the State’s problem should become the Chief Minister,” she added.
Published – November 27, 2025 08:26 pm IST
