Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar briefly meet Rahul Gandhi amid Karnataka power struggle

Mangalore Today News Network

Mysuru, January 14, 2026: A brief interaction between Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, along with his deputy and fellow CM contender D.K. Shivakumar, has sparked speculation amid an ongoing tussle for power in the state.

The meeting occurred on the tarmac at Mandakalli Airport in Mysuru, where Gandhi stopped for transit while returning to New Delhi from Gudalur in Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiris district, sources said. Gandhi had short conversations with Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar—both individually and together.

Gandhi actually passed through Mysuru airport twice on Tuesday: once en route to Gudalur and again while heading back to New Delhi. Both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar were present on both occasions.

While the exact details of the discussions are not known, speculation has grown amid the struggle for the CM post and talks of a possible Cabinet reshuffle. Some party sources noted that the leaders also discussed the Congress’ “Save MGNREGA” campaign in Karnataka and measures taken by the state government to urge the Centre to restore the UPA-era legislation.

The brief interaction came as both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar were awaiting a formal meeting with Gandhi. Party insiders said that Siddaramaiah is pushing for a Cabinet reshuffle, while Shivakumar prefers the party first decide on leadership changes.

Several sources suggested that approval of a Cabinet reshuffle by the Congress high command would signal that Siddaramaiah is likely to complete the full five-year term, reducing Shivakumar’s chances of becoming CM. However, other leaders indicated that upcoming elections in several states could also influence any leadership decision in Karnataka, one of the two major states currently governed by Congress independently.

The leadership tussle intensified following the Congress government’s completion of the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20, 2025. Speculation has been fueled by reports of a “power-sharing” arrangement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar when the government was formed in 2023.

Earlier in the day, Siddaramaiah dismissed media speculation about a leadership change, stating that he would abide by the Congress high command’s decision. Speaking after his brief meeting with Gandhi, he said there was no confusion in the party regarding leadership and clarified that no political discussions took place during the interaction.

Siddaramaiah, who recently became Karnataka’s longest-serving chief minister, surpassing Devaraj Urs’ record, expressed confidence in completing his five-year term while reiterating that the final decision rests with the party leadership.

Shivakumar, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, said on Sunday that his efforts had brought him this far in politics and that he was confident about the party’s decision regarding his future. His remarks are widely seen as a subtle assertion of his CM ambitions.

The competition between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for the chief minister’s post dates back to the 2023 Assembly elections, after which the Congress persuaded Shivakumar to accept the Deputy CM role. At the time, some reports suggested a “rotational CM formula” under which Shivakumar would assume office after two-and-a-half years, though the party has never officially confirmed this.