Karnataka Congress Leaders Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar Hold Delhi Meeting Amid Speculation of Party Rejuvenation

Congress Leadership Holds Crucial Discussions in Delhi

The Congress leadership will hold a crucial round of discussions in Delhi on Tuesday, which could shape the future of the party's government in Karnataka and determine how long the uneasy truce between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar can hold.

Both leaders landed separately in New Delhi on Monday evening, accompanied by their respective camps. The meeting is being seen as the Congress high command's attempt to contain factional tensions before they begin affecting governance and the party's prospects ahead of the 2028 Assembly election.

At the heart of the power struggle is the long-running debate over rotational chief ministership, an arrangement widely discussed after the Congress returned to power in Karnataka in 2023, though never officially acknowledged by the party leadership. Supporters of Shivakumar, widely credited with rebuilding the Congress organisation in the state, have repeatedly signalled that he expects a larger role midway through the government's term. Siddaramaiah loyalists, however, argue that there is no question of a leadership change while the government remains stable and electorally competitive.

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The Congress central leadership now finds itself balancing competing compulsions. Siddaramaiah remains the party's tallest mass leader in Karnataka, particularly among AHINDA communities – minorities, backward classes, and Dalits – that form the backbone of the Congress support base. Shivakumar, on the other hand, controls a significant part of the party machinery and enjoys strong backing among Vokkaliga leaders and legislators.

The latest round of consultations comes at a politically sensitive moment. The Congress is trying to consolidate its southern strongholds while also managing internal turbulence in multiple states. Any perception of instability in Karnataka – currently the party's most important government in the South – could hand the BJP an opening ahead of upcoming local body polls and eventually the Lok Sabha and Assembly contests.

Several Congress leaders sought to publicly play down indications of factional tensions, even as the Delhi meetings fuelled fresh speculation over the leadership question in Karnataka. Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge said that Siddaramaiah and his deputy had primarily been called to discuss upcoming Rajya Sabha vacancies and Legislative Council elections.

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