Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy, DK Shivakumar, are set to meet Congress matriarch Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on December 14, sources said on Saturday, as the simmering power struggle over the state’s top post shows no sign of easing.
The meeting with Sonia Gandhi, chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party, is expected to take place after the party’s mega rally at Ramlila Maidan in the national capital. The rally is part of the Congress’ ‘Vote Chor Gaddi Chhod’ campaign, which targets the BJP over alleged collusion with the Election Commission, according to people familiar with the matter.
Winter session politics adds heat
The prospect of high-level intervention comes even as tensions between the two camps continue to play out in Belagavi, where the Karnataka Assembly’s winter session is currently underway. The political churn has remained largely behind the scenes, but occasional statements by party leaders have kept speculation alive.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had said about three weeks ago that the “confusion” in Karnataka would be resolved by Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and himself, signalling that the matter would be handled by the party’s highest leadership.
Claims, counters and dinner diplomacy
Fresh fuel was added on Friday when Congress MLA Iqbal Hussain claimed that Shivakumar would take over as chief minister after the legislature session ends. Speaking to reporters, Hussain, the MLA from Ramanagara, said Shivakumar’s elevation was imminent, a remark that quickly drew attention across the political spectrum.
Hussain was among several ministers and legislators who attended a dinner hosted by Shivakumar on Thursday. Brushing aside suggestions that the gathering was a show of strength, he said MLAs from various constituencies were in Belagavi for the session and had simply come together for a meal. “Can having food together be called a show of strength?” he asked.
Responding to questions on why the invitees were perceived to be close to Shivakumar, Hussain said, “All are friends.” Pressed further on whether he had any message from the dinner meeting, he doubled down on his claim. “I’m giving the good news. He will become (CM) after the session,” he said, adding that around 50 to 55 MLAs were present, though “numbers are not important here”.
Siddaramaiah, too, held a similar dinner meeting a day earlier, underscoring the quiet but visible jockeying within the ruling party.
The Congress currently enjoys a comfortable majority in the 224-member Assembly, with nearly 140 MLAs, giving it ample numerical strength even as internal differences persist.
The leadership question has grown sharper since the government completed the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20. Reports have suggested a possible understanding to split the chief minister’s tenure for 2.5 years each as part of a generational transition. Officially, however, neither the party nor the two leaders has confirmed any such arrangement, though Shivakumar recently alluded to a “secret deal” without offering details.
So far, Shivakumar, 63, has avoided an open confrontation with Siddaramaiah, 77, unlike the high-profile rebellion mounted by Sachin Pilot against Ashok Gehlot in Rajasthan a few years ago. That episode ended with Pilot losing his posts and the Congress eventually losing the state.
In Karnataka, the signals have been more cryptic. In recent weeks, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar even held breakfast meetings at each other’s residences on the instructions of the party’s “high command”, a move seen as an attempt to project unity and deny the opposition BJP fresh ammunition during the Assembly session.