The senior leader had also earlier said that the issue of leadership change in Karnataka is not something to be discussed publicly.
Published Nov 27, 2025 | 1:24 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 27, 2025 | 1:24 PM
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.
Synopsis: Amid the ongoing speculation regarding a possible leadership change in Karnataka, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said that he would “call everyone for a discussion” and arrive at a decision. He said the whole high command team will sit and arrive at a decision.
Amid the ongoing speculation regarding a possible leadership change in Karnataka, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday, 27 November, said that he would “call everyone for a discussion” and arrive at a decision.
“I will call everyone for a discussion, in which Rahul Gandhi will also be present. Other members, including the chief minister and our deputy chief minister, will also be present. After calling everyone and holding a discussion, a decision will be made,” Kharge told reporters. His remarks come as he is expected to meet Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi in Delhi on Thursday to discuss the leadership situation in Karnataka.
With the Congress government in Karnataka completing the first half of its five-year term on 20 November, speculation about a change in leadership has been circulating in the rumour mills. While Kharge clarified the final call would be taken by the party’s central leadership,
All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala earlier sought to douse the speculation, accusing the BJP, sections of the media and some party leaders of deliberately fueling the narrative.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar have also reiterated that they would abide by the high command’s decision. However, despite repeated denials, speculation around the leadership issue has refused to die down.
In an attempt to project unity, Kharge further said that when he refers to “high command”, it is a “team” and not a single person. “The whole high command team will sit and arrive at a decision,” Kharge said.
The senior leader had also earlier said that the issue of leadership change in Karnataka is not something to be discussed publicly. “This is not a subject to be discussed here, and that too in public. I have specially come here to attend an event related to Constitution Day on 26 November. I have an invitation to the event. After attending the event, I have review meetings to attend, after which I will proceed further,” Kharge, who arrived in Delhi on Wednesday to take part in the Constitution Day celebration, told reporters.
Shivakumar, too, has declined to speak publicly on the leadership question. Responding to a question about whether the Delhi visit was to discuss power transfer with Mallikarjun Kharge, he said, “I don’t know about it. This is a secret among five-six people, and I won’t disclose it,” he said on Tuesday.
Although Shivakumar has tried to project unity by backing Siddaramaiah’s statements that he would continue as the chief minister, the former’s late-night meeting with Public Works Department Minister Satish Jarkiholi on Tuesday raised eyebrows in political circles. The meeting was seen as an attempt to build consensus with a close aide of Siddaramaiah.
Shivakumar, also the president of the Karnataka state Congress unit, shared a cryptic post on X on Thursday that said, “Word power is world power. The biggest force in the world was to keep one’s word.”
It was an excerpt from his speech at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office on Constitution Day on Wednesday.
“Be it a judge, president or anyone else, including myself, everyone has to walk the talk. Word power is world power,” Shivakumar shared on X.
ಕೊಟ್ಟ ಮಾತು ಉಳಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದೇ ವಿಶ್ವದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ದೊಡ್ಡ ಶಕ್ತಿ! pic.twitter.com/klregNRUtv
— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) November 27, 2025
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
