Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, who is in Delhi along with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to meet the Congress top brass amid buzz over a possible leadership change, responded with a smile and silence when reporters asked if he was set to become the next chief minister of the southern state.
While Shivakumar has never openly spoken about his differences with Siddaramaiah, he has repeatedly hinted in guarded words that he expects the alleged 2.5-year power-sharing arrangement brokered by the party after the 2023 Assembly polls to be honoured.
However, with the Siddaramaiah-led government already completing three years in office, the relevance of that 2.5-year formula now appears uncertain.
The tussle, simmering for months, has now reached Delhi, with both leaders meeting the Congress high command as the party weighs its next move.
According to reports, a leadership change is likely on the cards, with Siddaramaiah possibly being asked to step aside for another leader. However, DK is unlikely to be the chosen successor, with reports suggesting the Congress may instead move Siddaramaiah to the Rajya Sabha.
Following a formula similar to the one seen in Bihar, where Nitish Kumar was moved to the Rajya Sabha and his son elevated to the state Cabinet, Siddaramaiah’s son could also find a place in the Karnataka Cabinet.
If not DK, then who could be the next Karnataka CM?
After the Congress party’s victory in the recent Kerala Assembly elections, KC Venugopal was among the frontrunners for the chief minister’s post.
However, VD Satheesan was eventually named Kerala CM, with speculation that Venugopal was assured a bigger role at the national level.
Now, reports suggest the Congress could opt for a neutral face in Karnataka, with party president Mallikarjun Kharge’s name doing the rounds in political circles.
A report published by a leading English daily claimed that the Congress may replace Siddaramaiah with Kharge. In that scenario, KC Venugopal could be elevated as the new Congress chief.
A final decision is expected within the next couple of days, and it remains to be seen how the Congress leadership manages Shivakumar’s ambitions.