Congress leadership reportedly finalises Karnataka power-sharing formula after marathon Delhi talks with Siddaramaiah and Rahul Gandhi
Bengaluru: The prolonged power struggle within the Karnataka Congress appears to have reached a decisive turning point, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reportedly agreeing to step down from office following extensive negotiations with the Congress high command in New Delhi.
According to top Congress sources, Siddaramaiah consented to relinquish the Chief Minister’s post after a marathon seven-hour meeting held at the AICC headquarters on Tuesday. The discussions reportedly involved senior Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, K. C. Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala.
The development is being viewed as a major breakthrough in the Congress party’s internal leadership dispute that has dominated Karnataka politics for months. Siddaramaiah is now expected to officially submit his resignation on Thursday under the previously discussed internal power-sharing arrangement formulated after the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections.
Political observers believe the transition could mark the beginning of a new phase of leadership in Karnataka, with Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar emerging as the strongest contender for the top post.
Rahul Gandhi’s Key Role in Karnataka Leadership Transition
Sources familiar with the high-level deliberations stated that Rahul Gandhi played a crucial role in convincing Siddaramaiah to accept the leadership transition in the larger interest of the Congress party and future electoral strategy.
A separate one-on-one meeting between Rahul Gandhi and Siddaramaiah reportedly became the turning point in the negotiations. During the discussions, the Congress leadership is believed to have assured Siddaramaiah of a larger national political role after stepping down as Chief Minister.
“The leadership transition was presented as necessary for party unity and future electoral planning,” sources close to the meeting revealed.
As part of the proposed arrangement, Siddaramaiah is reportedly being considered for a Rajya Sabha berth and a significant national-level organisational responsibility within the Congress party.
In another major political development, sources indicated that Siddaramaiah’s son, Dr. Yathindra Siddaramaiah, may be accommodated as Deputy Chief Minister in the restructured Karnataka cabinet after the transition.
Pressure from Siddaramaiah Loyalists Failed to Change Decision
Soon after the Delhi deliberations, Siddaramaiah reportedly convened an emergency meeting with close cabinet colleagues including G. Parameshwara, K. J. George, M. B. Patil and Bhairati Suresh at a private venue in Delhi.
Sources said several loyalist ministers urged Siddaramaiah emotionally not to resign and requested further discussions with the Congress high command. However, Siddaramaiah reportedly made it clear that he would abide by the party leadership’s decision.
“I cannot refuse Rahul Gandhi’s direction. As promised earlier, I am ready to resign from the Chief Minister’s post,” Siddaramaiah reportedly told close associates.
The statement is being interpreted as a strong indication that the Congress leadership has finalised the succession formula after prolonged internal negotiations.
Bengaluru Witnesses Intense Political Activity
Late Tuesday night, Siddaramaiah returned to Bengaluru along with senior ministers including Zameer Ahmed Khan, H. C. Mahadevappa, Krishna Byre Gowda and legal advisor A. S. Ponnanna through HAL Airport amid heightened political speculation.
The Chief Minister is scheduled to participate in official programmes related to the death anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru before potentially making a formal public announcement regarding his resignation.
Sources also confirmed that senior AICC leaders K.C. Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala are arriving in Bengaluru to oversee the transition process and conduct a Congress Legislative Party meeting aimed at finalising the next Chief Minister.
Congress Power-Sharing Formula Comes Into Effect
The reported resignation signals the implementation of the long-discussed Congress power-sharing formula in Karnataka. Although the party never publicly confirmed the arrangement, political circles have consistently maintained that Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar had reached an understanding regarding rotational leadership after the Congress victory in 2023.
If the transition proceeds as expected, Karnataka could witness one of its biggest political leadership changes in recent years, potentially reshaping both state-level governance and the Congress party’s national political strategy ahead of future elections.
