Karnataka CM row—Siddaramaiah reiterates claim, Tumakuru seers pitch for Parameshwara

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday rejected claims of any power-sharing arrangement with his deputy DK Shivakumar, reiterating that he was picked for the full five-year term and that the Congress High Command wanted him to continue in the post.

“Ours is a high command party. We will abide by what the party high command decides. Right now, I am the CM, and going ahead also, I will be the CM,” Siddaramaiah was quoted as saying during a debate in the State Legislative Assembly amid speculation that Shivakumar was gearing up to step up efforts to become the CM after the legislature session.

Advertisement

“For the next two and a half years also, I will be the CM,” Siddaramaiah reportedly said as the Opposition BJP suggested that he did not appear confident of remaining in the post. “We are in power now, will remain in power for five years, and we will return in 2028,” he also added.

Notably, this is the second time in the past couple of days that the CM publicly asserted his intention to remain in office, maintaining that any decision on a leadership change was with the Congress high command. The latest remarks follow a dinner meeting hosted by senior minister Satish Jarkiholi, attended by Siddaramaiah and several ministers considered close to him, including Home Minister G Parameshwara. Apparently, Shivakumar was not invited to the dinner.

Earlier, the buzz was that Siddaramaiah had proposed completing his term and backing Shivakumar as the party’s CM face in the 2028 elections, however, recently another angle was added after a group of seers from various maths pitched for Parameshwara for the top post.

“Tumakuru district in-charge minister and Home Minister G Parameshwara should be made the CM of the state. The move will also give the party credit for doing justice to a backward community,” Hanumanthanatha Swamiji of Kunchitigara Maha Samsthana Matha, Yelerampura, was quoted as saying.

Earlier, Sree Adichunchanagiri Math had backed Shivakumar, urging the Congress high command to honour an alleged power-sharing commitment and highlighting Vokkaliga aspirations. This influential Vokkaliga math seer also cited community expectations from the 2023 elections. Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah retains backing from AHINDA coalitions and Kuruba networks, complicating the caste arithmetic for the Congress high command.

‘Maths’—monasteries or ‘mutts’—wield significant influence in Karnataka politics due to their deep connection with caste identities and community mobilisation. These institutions trace back centuries and serve as power centres for dominant castes such as Lingayats and Vokkaligas, as well as emerging backward castes and Dalits, negotiating reservations, leadership posts, and resources with parties like the Congress. They also endorse candidates, sway voters through vast networks of schools and hospitals, and intervene in disputes, making them virtual kingmakers in caste-driven politics of Karnataka.

The current leadership tussle dates back to the Congress’ return to power in Karnataka in 2023, when the party had to choose between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. Siddaramaiah had the backing of the influential AHINDA social combination and Shivakumar from the powerful Vokkaliga community.

Siddaramaiah was anointed the CM amid reports of a “gentleman’s agreement” on sharing power.

The CM and his deputy also held breakfast meetings at each other’s residences on the instructions of the high command, which was seen as a move to resolve or at least pause the tussle in mind the Belagavi legislature session.