In recent months, speculation over leadership has intensified, with several Congress leaders — particularly those aligned with either Siddaramaiah or Shivakumar — publicly backing their respective camps.
Published Nov 21, 2025 | 9:34 AM ⚊ Updated Nov 21, 2025 | 9:34 AM
Talk of a potential power-sharing arrangement between Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah dates back to the aftermath of the 2023 Assembly elections.
Synopsis: Several Congress MLAs belonging to the DK Shivakumar camp met the party leadership in Delhi, intensifying pressure on the party high command to implement the long-discussed power-sharing formula in the state government. In recent months, speculation over leadership has intensified in Karnataka with some demanding that Shivakumar be made the chief minister.
Several Congress legislators in Karnataka — belonging to the DK Shivakumar camp — rushed to Delhi on the evening of Thursday, 20 November, intensifying pressure on the party high command to implement the long-discussed power-sharing formula in the state government.
The move came as the Congress government completed 2.5 years in the state after assuming governance in May 2023, half of its five-year term.
However, reacting to the MLAs heading to Delhi, Shivakumar said he was not aware of it and that he was not keeping well.
The MLAs, all close to Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar, left for Delhi on Thursday afternoon to seek meetings with senior leadership of the party. The MLAs and MLCs who travelled include Dinesh Gooligowda, HD Ranganath and SR Srinivas, among others.
Other leaders, including B Shivanna, Iqbal Hussain, Shivaganga Basavaraju and Balakrishna, are expected to reach Delhi on Friday.
The group met Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday evening to formally place their demand for Shivakumar as the chief minister.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah once again asserted that he would continue at the post, stating that he would present his record 17th budget next year.
When reporters pointed out this assertion to Shivakumar, he said, “I am very glad about it. No one has said no. No one said that he would not be the CM. Our party has given him the responsibility to work as the CM. We are all working together.”
Following the Assembly elections in May 2023, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar were in a fierce competition for the chief minister’s post. Eventually, Congress persuaded Shivakumar to accept the role of deputy chief minister.
There were reports suggesting a compromise had been reached, involving a “rotational chief minister formula,” with Shivakumar set to assume the top post after two-and-a-half years.
In recent months, speculation over leadership has intensified, with several Congress leaders — particularly those aligned with either Siddaramaiah or Shivakumar — publicly backing their respective camps for the chief minister’s post.
Talk of a potential power-sharing arrangement between the two dates back to the aftermath of the 2023 Assembly elections, when reports suggested that a “rotational chief minister” formula had been agreed upon, under which Shivakumar would take over midway through the term.
However, the Congress has never officially confirmed such an agreement. Both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have consistently dismissed these claims, maintaining that any decision on leadership rests solely with the party high command.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil with inputs from Anisha Reddy.)
