Will Cong Remove Siddaramaiah as K'taka CM? Kharge Puts Ball in High Command’s Court

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has made a significant statement regarding the possibility of a change in the Chief Minister position in Karnataka. Responding on Monday to comments made by some party leaders, he said that such matters will be decided by the party high command and no one should create unnecessary issues.

Kharge was answering media questions about claims made by some Congress leaders in the state regarding a change in leadership in October. He said, “Look, this is in the hands of the high command. No one here can say what is going on in the high command’s mind. This has been left to the high command, and only they have the authority to make any decision in the future. But no one should create issues unnecessarily.”

When the Congress government was formed in Karnataka in 2023, there were speculations that Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar would lead the state for 2.5 years each. However, the party has neither confirmed nor denied such claims about rotational chief ministership.

At the present time in Karnataka, Siddaramaiah serves as the Chief Minister and Shivakumar as the Deputy Chief Minister. On Sunday, Congress MLA H.A. Iqbal Hussain claimed that Shivakumar could get a chance to become the Chief Minister within the next two to three months. This remark from the MLA, considered close to Shivakumar, comes amid growing speculation about a change in leadership in the state.

Multiple Statements from Congress Leaders

Iqbal Hussain’s statement came at a time when Cooperative Minister K.N. Rajanna recently hinted at a major political development in the state after September. When asked in Ramanagara whether Shivakumar has a chance to become Chief Minister, Hussain said, “You all know what our strength was before this government came to power. Everyone knows who fought, who worked hard, and who showed interest to achieve this victory. Shivakumar’s strategy and programmes have now become history. I do not believe in speculation. We have full faith that the high command is aware of the situation and will take the right decision at the right time to give him a chance.”