Behind The Smiles, Karnataka Congress Turmoil Far From Over; DKS Unlikely to Compromise, High Command’s Decision By Monday

Bengaluru: Hours after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar (DKS) put up a united face at a much-publicised breakfast meeting and joint press conference, sources have told Republic that the ground reality is far more fragile than the public optics.

Despite statements of unity, both leaders remain locked in a power struggle that has been simmering for nearly a month and sources indicate that DK Shivakumar is “unlikely to compromise” on what he views as commitments made to him by the party leadership.

According to sources close to the Shivakumar camp, Shivakumar is unlikely to take the middle line. “Compromise may not work now. Shivakumar is not taking a middle line… He was given a word. He was told he will be given the CM’s post in 2.5 years. He was promised a change in the command by November 20. He expects a final outcome by Monday latest,” the source said.

The DKS camp believes a clear power-sharing commitment was made when the government was formed and the Deputy Chief Minister is now pressing for its implementation.

Meanwhile, sources within the Siddaramaiah camp insist that the Chief Minister is “taking a hard line” and is unlikely to yield to any demand for mid-term power transition.

A source described today’s breakfast meeting as a “last-ditch peace offering engineered by the Congress high command”, not an organic reconciliation.

The High Command’s Intervention

The crisis intensified earlier this week when AICC general secretary KC Venugopal spoke directly to both Siddaramaiah and DKS.

Sources confirm KC Venugopal told both leaders, “You both are now taking jibes at each other on the social media. This is not Congress culture… Sit across the table, discuss and sort out the differences before coming to Delhi.”

Venugopal had reportedly told the two leaders that being united was very important for the Congress and the final decision was with the high command.

Both leaders have been asked to travel to Delhi soon. Shivakumar is likely to leave today afternoon, before a scheduled Mekedatu meeting tonight. Siddaramaiah will travel only after a formal call from the high command.

One Month Of Escalating Tensions

Over the past month, the political temperature inside Karnataka’s ruling Congress has been steadily rising, with unease spilling out of closed-door meetings into the public domain. What began as murmurs of dissatisfaction within the Shivakumar camp slowly escalated into sharper statements, cryptic remarks, social media nudges and behind-the-scenes mobilisation. MLAs began gravitating towards one camp or the other, amplifying the perception that the uneasy balance between Siddaramaiah and DKS was under strain. As BJP and JD(S) mounted aggressive attacks on the government, the internal friction only became more visible, prompting alarm within the central leadership that the unrest was beginning to overshadow governance and weaken the party’s public posture.

DKS’ Dinner Meet A Parallel Power Huddle?

On the eve of the breakfast meeting between the Chief Minister and his deputy, the unease within the Congress became even more evident when a group of MLAs aligned with Shivakumar gathered for a closed-door dinner meeting at a resort on Airport Road. Around 10 MLAs, including Magadi’s Balakrishna, Kunigal’s Ranganath, Nara Bharat Reddy, Mahendra Tammannavar, HD Thammaiah and Ashok Managoli, met in what sources describe as a strategy huddle to send a message that DKS continues to command considerable support within the party. The timing, just hours before Siddaramaiah and DKS were to sit together for their breakfast meeting, was widely interpreted as a calculated show of strength, signalling that the differences within the party were deeper than what public statements suggested.

Breakfast Optics & The Reality

The breakfast meeting at the Chief Minister’s residence was pitched as a significant step towards reconciliation, but sources insist the interaction was less spontaneous and more a result of firm instructions from the Congress high command. Siddaramaiah himself acknowledged this when he addressed the media that he had invited DKS “as per the instructions of the high command”, adding that “a lot of problems emerged in the past one month”. While the meeting was outwardly cordial, insiders maintain that the conversation was measured and cautious, not the breakthrough the party hoped for. The handshakes, smiles and a public show of solidarity stood in contrast to the underlying tension that has refused to dissipate.

Joint Press Conference A Manufactured Truce?

Soon after the breakfast meeting, the two leaders stepped before the cameras to deliver a coordinated message of unity. Siddaramaiah declared that differences “never existed and never will”, and blamed the Opposition, particularly the JD(S), for spreading rumours of conflict. He emphasised the Congress’ numerical superiority in the Assembly and asserted that he and DKS had devised a joint strategy for the upcoming Belagavi session, where the BJP will move a no-confidence motion against the Congress government, asserting that the ruling party has “lost the trust of the people as well as its own leaders.”

DK Shivakumar echoed the sentiment, insisting there was “no groupism” in the party and that the high command’s decisions would be final. While both spoke of loyalty, unity and collective strength, sources familiar with the discussions say the press conference was largely a performance aimed at diffusing immediate pressure rather than resolving the central issue of power sharing.

All Eyes On Delhi Now

Behind the scenes, it is the Congress high command that has been scrambling to prevent the situation from spiralling. AICC general secretary KC Venugopal is believed to have rebuked both Siddaramaiah and DKS, telling them that their recent jibes were “not Congress culture”.

He urged them to sit together, sort out their issues and come to Delhi only after attempting reconciliation on home turf. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge, too, sources say, communicated through Priyank Kharge that the Karnataka leadership must first discuss matters internally before seeking intervention from Delhi.

As of now, DKS is expected to leave for Delhi first, while Siddaramaiah has said he will travel only after receiving a formal call from the high command. The Delhi discussions are expected to be decisive, with pressure mounting to deliver clarity before Monday, when the DKS camp anticipates a final resolution.

Crisis Still Unresolved

Despite today’s carefully curated show of unity, sources across both camps agree that the internal crisis is far from settled. While Siddaramaiah is said to be firm on maintaining status quo, the DKS camp insists that commitments were made, including a promise of a power shift after 2.5 years and a change in command by November 20. The expectation of a final outcome by Monday has only heightened the suspense. The Congress may have orchestrated a temporary ceasefire for public consumption, but the underlying battle for power continues to simmer, leaving the party’s future cohesion and the stability of the Karnataka government hanging in the balance.

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