Shivakumar vs Siddaramaiah: Congress MLA Sets Date For Karnataka CM Change, Sparks New Buzz

Bengaluru: The Shivakumar vs Siddaramaiah battle in Congress-ruled Karnataka seems to be far from over. This time, a Karnataka Congress MLA has set off a new buzz over a possilbe change in leadership in the state, even going to the extent of asserting that Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar may expect “good news” on May 15, which also coincides with his birthday.

While no clarification has come from the Congress leadership nor from the top two Congress leaders in the state, the rumours have added fuel to the ever-growing speculation about a change in guard in the state, ever since November 2025, when it was largely believed that Siddaramaiah will step down and Shivakumar will take his place.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah completed 2.5 years of his tenure in November last year. A power-sharing arrangement from the high command in the Congress had earlier indicated that the top post in Karnataka will be shared between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, during the tenure of the Congress government. 

While Siddaramaiah has shown no signs of stepping down, legislators who are loyal to Shivakumar have maintained that the latter should now be promoted, since Siddharamaiah has already completed half its tenure.

When Karnataka Congress MLA Ranganath was asked by reporters about the date when the change in guard may take place, he said, “DK Shivakumar has worked for the party and given effort into everything. The whole of Karnataka knows it. We have always said that the high command will take an appropriate call in the future. I believe the high command will reward Shivakumar’s hard work. May 15 is DK Shivakumar’s birthday and I am positive that good news will come.”

Back-To-Back Meetings

Meanwhile, reports have indicated that senior Karnataka minister Satish Jarkiholi already had a meeting with senior Congress leader Randeep Surjewala and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi. HC Mahadevappa, another Shivakumar loyalist, is expected to meet the party high command in Delhi, reports indicated. These meetings have further fueled speculation over the Congress’s leadership plans in Karnataka.

Rotational Chief Minister Formula

The power struggle in Karnataka has its origin in 2023, when Shivakumar loyalists allegedly agreed on an informal “rotational Chief Minister” formula after the Congress won its Assembly election. This hush-hush deal indicated that Shivakumar would take over in November 2025, halfway through the Congress government’s five-year term. Siddaramaiah loyalists, on the other hand, have denied any such arrangement.

The speculations intensified after Siddaramaiah completed 2.5 years in office last year, which intensified calls for a leadership transition by the Shivakumar faction. Siddaramaiah has maintained in public that he will continue holding onto the Chief Minister's position, and Shivakumar has publicly backed him.

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal had also summoned both leaders to Delhi to iron out the differences between them and project a show of unity. Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have met on several occasions after that, including some discussions over breakfast, in a bid to project a united force to the electors. However, the buzz continues to simmer to date.

ALSO READ: Karnataka Power Tussle: 48 MLAs Backing DK Shivakumar Huddle Up In A Private Hotel In Bengaluru