A closed-door meeting involving around 30 Congress MLAs, including two ministers considered close to Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, has sparked renewed political speculation within the ruling party despite repeated public denials of any internal rift. The gathering took place at a private hotel in Bengaluru and was officially described as a birthday celebration for a legislator, though sources indicated that informal discussions centred on ongoing leadership dynamics within the state unit.
According to party insiders, legislators used the meeting to exchange views on the evolving political situation and are closely watching signals from the Congress high command in New Delhi regarding future leadership decisions. The presence of several influential MLAs added to the significance of the gathering, with attendees reportedly including leaders such as D. Sudhakar, Magadi Balakrishna, C. P. Yogeshwar, Kadalur Uday, Ravi Ganiga, Basavaraj Shivaganga, Nayama Mottamma, Sharath Bachegowda, Kunigal Ranganath, Prakash Kolivada, Anekal Shivanna and Venkatesh Pavagada.
The meeting comes just days after more than 20 Congress legislators from Karnataka travelled abroad to Australia and New Zealand, a trip that also attracted political attention amid ongoing leadership speculation. While participants described the visit as an agriculture-focused study tour, some legislators clarified that the travel was personal and not politically motivated. The timing of both developments has nevertheless intensified discussion within political circles about possible shifts in the state’s leadership structure.
Speculation has persisted for months about an alleged power-sharing arrangement between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar, under which each leader would hold the chief minister’s post for two-and-a-half years. Siddaramaiah assumed office on May 20, 2023, and expectations of a leadership transition around the halfway mark of the government’s term had earlier fuelled political chatter. However, the Congress leadership has consistently denied the existence of any such agreement and maintains that Siddaramaiah will complete the full five-year tenure.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge recently dismissed reports of internal uncertainty, stating that the party high command had not created any confusion and that organisational matters should be managed by the state leadership. Despite these assurances, the latest closed-door meeting has renewed scrutiny of internal equations within the Karnataka Congress, highlighting continued speculation over leadership stability as the government moves deeper into its term.
