Karnataka CM Change Buzz: Siddaramaiah May Resign, DK Shivakumar Likely To Take Over, Says Report

Political activity inside the Indian National Congress (INC) picked up sharply on Tuesday after reports claimed that Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah may be shifted to Delhi through the Rajya Sabha route as part of a larger Congress plan ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

The reports also suggested that Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar could take over as Karnataka Chief Minister if the transition goes through.

The developments came after several rounds of meetings were held in Delhi involving senior Congress leaders, even as the party publicly denied any discussion regarding a leadership change in Karnataka.

Siddaramaiah Asked To Take Up National Role: Reports

According to reports, Siddaramaiah was told by the Congress leadership that the party now wants him to play a larger national role as one of its major OBC faces ahead of the next Lok Sabha elections.

The discussions are said to be linked to Rahul Gandhi's continued focus on social justice politics, caste census issues and OBC representation at the national level.

Reports claimed the Congress leadership proposed a Rajya Sabha move for Siddaramaiah, presenting it as a larger political responsibility rather than an exit from Karnataka politics.

However, Siddaramaiah is learnt to have sought more time before taking a final decision on the proposal.

Long Delhi Meetings Trigger Fresh Karnataka Speculation

The speculation gathered momentum after senior Congress leaders held marathon meetings in Delhi for several hours on Tuesday.

Reports claimed Siddaramaiah held discussions with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi regarding the Karnataka situation and upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.

A wider meeting was also attended by D K Shivakumar, K C Venugopal and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Surjewala.

Despite growing speculation outside the meetings, Congress leaders publicly maintained that discussions were only related to Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections.

Neither Siddaramaiah nor D K Shivakumar commented publicly on the leadership issue after the meetings.

DK Shivakumar Back At Centre Of Karnataka Power Talks

The latest developments have once again brought D K Shivakumar to the centre of Karnataka Congress politics.

Ever since Congress returned to power in Karnataka in 2023, supporters of Shivakumar have repeatedly claimed that a power-sharing understanding existed within the party, under which Siddaramaiah would lead the government first before Shivakumar eventually took over.

Though the Congress leadership has never officially confirmed such an arrangement, speculation around a possible leadership change has continued for months inside the Karnataka unit.

The discussions intensified again after the Siddaramaiah government completed around half of its tenure earlier this month.

Congress Looking At 2029 Strategy

Political observers believe the reported proposal to move Siddaramaiah to Delhi is also tied to the Congress party's larger national strategy for 2029.

Rahul Gandhi's push around caste representation and backward class politics has become a major part of the Congress campaign narrative in recent months.

Within that framework, Siddaramaiah is reportedly being viewed as an important national OBC face who could strengthen the party's outreach beyond Karnataka.

At the same time, a leadership change in Karnataka could also help the Congress manage anti-incumbency concerns ahead of the next Assembly elections expected in 2028.

Rajya Sabha Elections Add Pressure

The timing of the discussions is important as nominations for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections are expected to begin soon.

Karnataka is set to elect four Rajya Sabha members, with Congress expected to comfortably win three seats based on current numbers in the Assembly.

For now, however, the Congress leadership appears to be moving cautiously, with Siddaramaiah yet to give any final approval regarding the reported Delhi move.