Sidda, DKS to Hold Key Meeting Tomorrow Amid Leadership Buzz

The proposed meeting has triggered fresh political discussions within the state Congress unit, as conversations around a potential leadership transition have resurfaced intermittently over the past several months despite repeated denials from the party leadership.

The development comes shortly after a high-level Congress meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday attended by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Karnataka Congress in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, along with Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar.

Following the meeting, KC Venugopal clarified that discussions focused only on the upcoming Rajya Sabha and Karnataka Legislative Council elections and not on any leadership change in the state.

“Today, we had a detailed meeting with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and LoP Rahul Gandhi. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala, and I were part of the discussion. The entire discussion was concentrated only on the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections and Council Elections of Karnataka,” Venugopal said.

He termed reports of a leadership change as “speculation” and said announcements regarding candidates for the Rajya Sabha and Council elections would be made along with those for other states.

Speculation surrounding leadership change in the Karnataka Congress has continued since the government completed two-and-a-half years in office last year. The discussions gained traction after sections of DK Shivakumar’s supporters suggested over the past 18 months that he could eventually take over as Chief Minister.

At the same time, some Congress workers have also voiced support for senior Congress leader G Parameshwara for the top post, adding another dimension to the party’s internal political discussions.

Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah is also scheduled to participate in multiple programmes in Bengaluru on Wednesday, including events marking the 62nd death anniversary of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

According to the official schedule, Siddaramaiah will attend a Nehru remembrance programme at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee office at 10:30 am, followed by another tribute event in front of the Vidhana Soudha at 11 am.

No official press conference has been scheduled so far, though officials indicated that additional details regarding the Chief Minister’s engagements may be shared later in the day.

The upcoming breakfast meeting between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar is being closely watched in Karnataka political circles for any indication of coordination or internal discussions within the state leadership.