Powerplay moves to Delhi, Siddaramaiah, DK Shivakumar to meet Rahul Gandhi
Mangalore Today News Network
New Delhi, July 9, 2025: The suspense over the Karnataka Chief Minister post has shifted from Bengaluru to Delhi, with both Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar in the national capital to meet the Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and senior party leader and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi.
While both Mr Siddaramaiah and Mr Shivakumar have said their Delhi trips are related to state projects, the timing of their proposed meetings with the Congress high command has raised eyebrows as they follow claims by Karnataka MLAs about a possible leadership change in Bengaluru.
Addressing a press meet in Delhi this morning, Mr Shivakumar said he has sought an appointment with Mr Gandhi. "But today he is in Patna. Maybe tomorrow we will meet," he said. He also said he had not met former UPA chairperson and veteran leader Sonia Gandhi.
The Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister said he was in Delhi to discuss irrigation projects and seek financial assistance.
Stressing that there is no cabinet reshuffle in Karnataka on the cards, he said, "The Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) is here to meet the Defence Minister. The meetings are for development purposes."
"I have not met Sonia Gandhi. I have asked for a time. I have asked for time to meet Rahul Gandhi. He’s in Patna. Once he’s back will meet Rahul Gandhi
Targeting the BJP-ruled Centre, he said the government is silencing the Opposition’s voice. Referring to the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of voter lists months ahead of state polls, he said, "Every citizen of Bihar should have their right. All of a sudden, they are seeking several documents. The parents of many of the voters are in heaven, how can they get the documents EC is asking for?"
Senior Congress leader and the party’s Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala is in Bengaluru and has been meeting MLAs to iron out differences within the Congress. Asked about the leadership change buzz, Mr Surjewala said such decisions rest with the party high command.
On Mr Surjewala camping in Karnataka, Mr Shivakumar said party chief Kharge wants the entire organisation to be revamped at the district level. "I have sent teams to the districts. Rahul Gandhi and KC Venugopal conducted the meeting, and I was present too. We want to revamp the structure. We discussed its pros and cons. It is general secretary Randeep Surjewala’s duty to meet them. I have requested Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge to lay the foundation stones of the new buildings. There’s no speculation from my side. The speculations are from your side," he told the media.
The BJP, meanwhile, has been stressing that the Karnataka government is set for a leadership change.
Earlier, Siddaramaiah trashed speculation over a possible leadership change. He said the Congress government will remain "as solid as a rock" for five years. Mr Shivakumar, too, has said he will toe the party line and show-caused an MLA demanding that he be made Chief Minister.
The current unrest over the Chief Minister post goes back to the 2023 election result in which Congress scored a thumping win. At the time, Mr Shivakumar was considered a strong contender for the top post for his role in the Congress win. Eventually, the Congress leadership managed to convince him to settle for the Deputy Chief Minister and state party chief posts. Some reports had then claimed that an agreement of rotational chief ministership had been reached, but this was never confirmed.
Courtesy: NDTV