•Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is scheduled to meet the Congress leadership in New Delhi on Tuesday to discuss key issues such as Rajya Sabha elections, Cabinet reshuffle, and MLC polls.
•A final decision on the ongoing speculation over a possible change of leadership in Karnataka will be taken soon after the meeting between the party high command, Chief Minister, and Deputy Chief Minister.
•The Congress party is likely to win three out of the four seats that will fall vacant from Karnataka in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, scheduled for June 18.
•A minor reshuffle in the Karnataka cabinet has been carried out, with Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot transferring the planning and statistics portfolio from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to Cabinet Minister K. Venkatesh.
•The party's leadership issue is expected to be resolved within the next two to three days, with sources indicating that 10 to 12 Cabinet Ministers are likely to be dropped over performance, caste, and regional combination factors.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is scheduled to meet the Congress leadership in New Delhi on Tuesday, fueling speculation about a possible leadership change in the state. The meeting, which is set to take place at 11 am, will also discuss key issues such as Rajya Sabha elections, Cabinet reshuffle, and MLC polls. According to party sources, a final decision on the ongoing speculation over a possible change of leadership in Karnataka will be taken soon after the meeting between the party high command, Chief Minister, and Deputy Chief Minister.
Siddaramaiah has stated that he was invited to the meeting but is unaware of the agenda. "I have been invited to Delhi. There is a meeting tomorrow at 11 AM; I do not know the agenda. Mr. Venugopal called me to inform me about the date and time of the meeting," he said. When asked about speculation over leadership changes in Karnataka, Siddaramaiah replied, "Speculations are always there." Meanwhile, Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar indicated that he may not attend the meeting, saying, "I will go if called." However, later, he said he was most likely to go to Delhi as Special Intensive Revision, among other things, is on the agenda.
The meeting comes amid growing discontent within the state unit, with several leaders urging the high command to end the confusion quickly. The prolonged uncertainty is reportedly hurting the party's image in Karnataka. Over the past 18 months, Shivakumar's supporters have repeatedly asserted that he would soon take over as Chief Minister, though the transition has not occurred. Congress general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala has linked the Delhi visit to organizational consultations over Rajya Sabha elections, stating, "Rajya Sabha elections have been notified. The party continues to have consultations. So please do not speculate. I quash all other speculations."
A minor reshuffle in the Karnataka cabinet has been carried out, with Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot transferring the planning and statistics portfolio from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to Cabinet Minister K. Venkatesh. Siddaramaiah will continue to oversee several key departments, including finance, cabinet affairs, and intelligence. The reshuffle takes immediate effect, according to a notification issued by the cabinet affairs and Personnel and Administrative Reforms Secretariat. The Congress party is likely to win three out of the four seats that will fall vacant from Karnataka in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, scheduled for June 18. The party's leadership issue is expected to be resolved within the next two to three days, with sources indicating that 10 to 12 Cabinet Ministers are likely to be dropped over performance, caste, and regional combination factors.
The Karnataka Chief Minister has been pushing for a Cabinet reshuffle for the past six months, which is speculated to cement his position in the leadership tussle with Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. Legislators aspiring for a Cabinet berth are likely to go to Delhi after the Chief Minister's visit. Congress president Mallikarjun M. Kharge and Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal are expected to be part of the meeting, along with Randeep Singh Surjewala and DK Shivakumar. Multiple Congress party sources have stated that although there has been speculation about Kharge's return to state politics as a balancing factor between the Chief Minister and Deputy CM's factions, the veteran leader is not favorable to the idea.
