Amid reports of a leadership change in Karnataka and dissidence within the Congress, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar are likely to visit Delhi to meet the party high command.
According to news agency PTI, citing sources, both leaders are expected to meet Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday evening.
Congress general secretary and Karnataka in-charge, Randeep Singh Surjewala, is currently in Bengaluru, holding meetings with state ministers and MLAs to resolve their concerns.
On Tuesday, Surjewala declined to comment on the ongoing discussions regarding a leadership change in the state, suggesting that the issue is no longer relevant and indicating that such decisions rest with the party high command.
Meanwhile, BJP state president BY Vijayendra claimed that the Congress general secretary is laying the groundwork for a leadership change by November or December.
Some Congress MLAs are reportedly upset with the Siddaramaiah government. Kagwad MLA Raju Kage had threatened to resign over a lack of development in his constituency.
Aland MLA BR Patil recently alleged corruption in a housing scheme for poor families.
Another Congress MLA, Belur Gopal Krishna, has demanded the resignation of Housing Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan.
After winning the Assembly elections in May 2023, the Congress convinced Shivakumar to accept the post of Deputy CM.
According to some reports at the time, a compromise was reached based on a “rotational Chief Minister formula,” under which Shivakumar would take over as CM after two-and-a-half years, in November 2025.
Amid Surjewala’s meetings with party MLAs, Siddaramaiah asserted that he would complete his five-year term.
In response, some Congress MLAs, including Ramanagara legislator H.A. Iqbal Hussain from the Shivakumar camp, insisted that they want their leader to become CM. Shivakumar, who is also the Congress state president, stated that he would follow the party line and issued a show-cause notice to his supporter MLA Hussain for his statement.
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