Karnataka CM row: Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar show unity after breakfast meeting, say no rift in Congress leadership
PTC Web Desk: A day after growing speculation about a leadership change in Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar appeared together and publicly dismissed all reports of internal conflict. The two leaders met for breakfast at 10:15 am on Saturday, following instructions from the Congress high command and later addressed a joint press conference.
ಉಪಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿಗಳಾದ ಡಿ.ಕೆ.ಶಿವಕುಮಾರ್ ಅವರ ಜೊತೆ ಬೆಳಗ್ಗಿನ ಉಪಹಾರ ಸೇವಿಸುತ್ತಾ, ಕೆಲಹೊತ್ತು ಮಾತುಕತೆ ನಡೆಸಿದೆ. @DKShivakumar pic.twitter.com/7ak3xFjatL
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) November 29, 2025
‘No differences between us,’ says Siddaramaiah
Speaking at the press conference, CM Siddaramaiah said there were no disagreements between him and Shivakumar, nor would there be in the future. “We will work together as a team,” he assured, adding that the opposition BJP and JD(S) were trying to spread false narratives.
“The BJP and the JDS are in the habit of making baseless allegations. They say they will bring a no-confidence motion, but they only have 60 MLAs. We have 140. Their move is meaningless. We will face their false accusations,” he said.
ಮಾನ್ಯ ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿಗಳಾದ ಶ್ರೀ ಸಿದ್ದರಾಮಯ್ಯ ಅವರನ್ನು ಇಂದು ಅವರ ಕಾವೇರಿ ನಿವಾಸದಲ್ಲಿ ಭೇಟಿಯಾಗಿ ಉಪಾಹಾರ ಸಭೆ ನಡೆಸಲಾಯಿತು.
Met Hon’ble CM Shri @siddaramaiah avaru at Cauvery Residence this morning for a breakfast meeting. A productive discussion on Karnataka’s priorities and the road ahead. pic.twitter.com/qhe7q5RNvi — DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) November 29, 2025
Shivakumar: ‘We follow the high command’
Deputy CM DK Shivakumar also stressed unity, saying the Congress government was formed with the support of the people and the leadership would act as per the high command’s decision. “There are no groups within the party. I stand with the Chief Minister. Our focus is the development of Karnataka,” he said.
Shivakumar added that the Congress high command’s decision would be final on leadership matters.
“We are loyal soldiers of the party. The party is going through a difficult phase at the national level, but Karnataka will play a major role. We are confident of retaining power in 2028,” he said.
Why the power struggle intensified
The leadership tussle between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar resurfaced as the Congress government completed 2.5 years in office on November 20. In 2023, when the Congress came to power, there were widespread reports of a 2.5-year rotation formula for the Chief Minister’s post: Siddaramaiah for the first half of the term and Shivakumar for the next. However, Siddaramaiah’s camp has repeatedly denied such an agreement and the party never confirmed it officially.
With the halfway mark reached, several MLAs close to Shivakumar visited Delhi recently and met Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, pushing for a leadership change.
Cabinet reshuffle vs leadership change
According to party sources, Siddaramaiah supports a Cabinet reshuffle, while Shivakumar wants clarity on the leadership issue first.
Party insiders believe that if the high command approves a Cabinet expansion, it may indicate that Siddaramaiah will continue for the full five-year term, which could weaken Shivakumar’s chances of becoming CM.
Key events over the last 10 days
November 26: Kharge says High Command will resolve issue
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the party leadership would resolve the matter through discussions. He said he, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi would look into the issue together.
Rahul Gandhi asks Shivakumar to wait
A report by India Today claimed that Shivakumar had been trying to speak to Rahul Gandhi for a week. Rahul later messaged him, saying, “Please wait, I will call.”
Shivakumar responded that he would seek time from the high command when necessary, especially regarding the selection of candidates for four MLC seats and restructuring of party assets in Karnataka.
‘ @DKShivakumar right now! #NovemberKranthi#CongressFailsKarnataka#SidduVsDKS #KarnatakaMusicalChairs pic.twitter.com/mnLWfExZDu — BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) November 25, 2025
November 25: BJP releases AI video targeting Shivakumar
The Karnataka BJP released an AI-generated satirical video showing Shivakumar trying to buy the Chief Minister’s chair online, only to see the message “Out of Stock.” The party captioned it: “DK Shivakumar right now.”
November 21: Shivakumar rejects talk of CM change
Following rumours triggered by the visit of his supporters to Delhi, Shivakumar posted on X that Siddaramaiah would complete his five-year term. He insisted there was no groupism in the party and that all Congress MLAs belonged to the entire leadership.
November 19: Talk of resigning as party chief
Shivakumar hinted that he may soon step down as Karnataka Congress president, saying he had been in the role for nearly six years and others should also get an opportunity. However, he reassured party workers that he would remain in frontline leadership.
November 16: Siddaramaiah meets Kharge
Amid discussions on Cabinet changes, Siddaramaiah met Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi. Officially it was called a courtesy visit, but sources say the CM discussed Cabinet expansion and adjustments.
- With inputs from agencies
