Karnataka’s political landscape is in a state of churn again, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar holding parallel engagements in Delhi as the Congress high command weighs a long-pending cabinet expansion ahead of the Assembly session on December 8.
Siddaramaiah returned to Bengaluru late on Saturday night after a short visit to the national capital and is scheduled to fly back on Monday. He has an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi late in the afternoon and is also expected to seek a meeting with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who holds the final word on any cabinet restructuring.
Meanwhile, Shivakumar cancelled a planned trip from Delhi to Hyderabad on Sunday and remained in the capital, having sought time from Rahul Gandhi. His brother and Bengaluru Rural MP DK Suresh also reached Delhi during the day, adding to the political buzz within the party’s state unit.
Both the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister publicly denied reports of a leadership tussle, but their overlapping Delhi engagements and statements throughout the day suggested growing unease as talk of a reshuffle gathered momentum.
When questioned about the Chief Minister’s meeting with Rahul Gandhi, Shivakumar said, "I don’t know about the CM's meeting with Rahul Gandhi. I don’t know about a cabinet reshuffle discussion. If you want to ask anything about reshuffling or leadership change, speak to the CM. We have to follow what the party says." He also insisted there was nothing unusual about Siddaramaiah’s meetings with senior leaders, adding, "The CM has every right to meet Mallikarjun Kharge, the Home Minister or the PM. What’s wrong with that?"
Siddaramaiah, speaking to reporters in Bengaluru after returning from Delhi, confirmed he had met Rahul Gandhi but maintained the discussion was "strictly about the Bihar election" and not Karnataka. "We only discussed the Bihar election. There was no conversation about the cabinet reshuffle at all," he said. He reiterated that he would travel to Delhi again on Monday if he received confirmation of an appointment with the Prime Minister.
Despite the denials, party insiders suggest Siddaramaiah is pushing for a cabinet expansion before the crucial winter session begins on December 8th. The Congress government, which has 34 sanctioned berths, has already filled 33 and has been debating whether to induct more ministers or drop existing ones to address internal pressure ahead of the Lok Sabha strategy cycle.
According to senior leaders, the Chief Minister is likely to raise the issue directly with Kharge on Monday. Congress sources in Delhi suggest that if Kharge gives approval, 8-12 sitting ministers may be replaced, with new faces inducted to address regional and caste imbalances and to strengthen the party’s grassroots network. This potential reshuffle is believed to be a contentious point for Shivakumar, who is reportedly resisting any move that sidelines his key supporters.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Sunday indicated that there will only be a Cabinet reshuffle and not a leadership change in the state. Speaking to reporters, Parameshwara said Siddaramaiah and the Congress high command will decide on the Cabinet reshuffle. "It is said that the high command has given permission for a reshuffle. Media is saying it and this subject is coming out in the open. Now you can guess what's happening with regard to the change of guard. Normally, leadership changes do not happen when the Cabinet reshuffle takes place," he concluded.
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