While senior leaders of the party like Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi have not spoken to DK Shivakumar directly, the AICC has conveyed to him that as the deputy chief minister as well as the KPCC President, it is his responsibility to restrain a public spectacle of party affairs.
Published Nov 28, 2025 | 11:30 AM ⚊ Updated Nov 28, 2025 | 11:30 AM
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.
Synopsis: Speculations of a leadership change in the Congress-led Karnataka government have been building for the last few weeks aided by party leaders, media and Opposition. However, the AICC has cautioned state Congress leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, to keep the party affairs from public view.
The 24/7 headlines on Karnataka’s perceived “power tussle” over a seat that is not vacant have helped opponents build two distinct narratives against the Congress. The first narrative turns Congress’s landslide victory in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly polls into ammunition to attack the party, while the second disrupts the party’s prospects in the next 2028 Assembly elections in Karnataka.
Both tactfully built to put a stable government with overwhelming majority on the back foot and fuelling speculations of a ‘split in party’, ‘rebellion’, ‘revolt against leadership’ and the like.
The incessant soundbites, war of words — actual and perceived — round-trip of Congress legislators to Delhi have made for the perfect stage of political drama. Meanwhile, behind the scenes whisper campaigns have become the backbone of narrative building, with two distinct narratives against the incumbent Congress.
The first narrative: “Despite winning 135 seats in the 2023 Assembly polls and coming to power with an absolute majority, Congress is unable to maintain a ‘stable government’ and is squandering the mandate. What is the point of even voting for Congress?” However, it is of little interest that sections of Congress lobbying for a change of chief minister is a party affair and not a governance issue.
The second narrative: “DK Shivakumar is desperate to become the chief minister because the Congress knows it is not returning to power after this term in 2028. He wants to enjoy power while it lasts.”
This narrative comes even as the BJP in Karnataka is facing an organisational challenge, and the JD(S) is fast losing ground. This narrative is feeding off the frenzy displayed by Congress’s own leaders before television news channel cameras.
Saying nothing when you have nothing to say is a wise move, but it is lost on leaders of Congress who are either being baited by the media or seeking to get their airtime.
The narratives also seeks to undermine the Siddaramaiah government’s plans to highlight its achievements halfway through its term. The flare-up around this “tussle” also came at a time the government was highlighting what it deemed were its achievements in 2.5 years, with a special focus on how its guarantee schemes have touched lives.
Sources in Congress suggest that the All India Congress Committee (AICC) leadership — still recovering from an electoral debacle in Bihar — didn’t expect to firefight a perception battle in Karnataka, where the party has a comfortable majority and a seasoned administrator as chief minister.
A senior member of the party close to the AICC leadership told South First that it has been conveyed to DK Shivakumar that a public spectacle of party affairs will only dent his image and damage his chances.
While senior leaders of the party, such as Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi, have not spoken directly to Shivakumar. The AICC has conveyed to him that, as deputy chief minister as well as the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President, it is his responsibility to restrain a public spectacle of party affairs.
Issues or concerns, if any, will be resolved at the highest level but discreetly, DK Shivakumar has been told.
Meanwhile, the AICC leadership is set to invite Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as well as Shivakumar to Delhi before the winter session of the Parliament begins; exactly what Shivakumar had been pushing for — dialogues to be initiated so he is assured of being the next chief minister choice for Congress in a post-Siddaramaiah scenario.
While those around Shivakumar, as well as the deputy chief minister himself, believe that building pressure on the party is the only way to get things done, the AICC leadership is unamused.
Already facing one electoral debacle after another, Congress leadership has no tolerance for party leaders making a public spectacle of issues, handing ammunition into the hands of the Opposition.
Its message to Shivakumar has been clear — there is no scope for public spectacle of party affairs. Any public spectacle will only dent his image and damage his chances.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
