Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar on Sunday once again dismissed speculation of a deepening rift within the state’s ruling Congress, insisting there was no differences between him and chief minister Siddaramaiah and that he was fully aware of his boundaries.
The remarks came a day after Shivakumar, who is also the Karnataka Congress president, and Siddaramaiah had a breakfast meeting in a move to present a united front and denying any difference between them.
“Being the party president, I know my limits,” he told reporters, adding that he had never issued statements suggesting disagreement with the chief minister or challenging his authority.
Shivakumar said the government’s focus remained on long-term political planning and that he and Siddaramaiah would work together to frame the Congress’s approach for the 2028 Assembly elections.
“Nowhere have I made any comments or expressed a difference of opinion with the CM. We are all working together… Our aim is 2028 (assembly polls) and 2029 (Lok Sabha elections), and we are working for it,” he said.
His comments followed an hour-long breakfast meeting between the two leaders on Saturday. However, the opposition dismissed the event as little more than political optics, claiming the meeting failed to resolve the underlying tensions that have defined the Congress government in recent months.
Speculation over internal differences intensified after the Congress government completed half its five-year term on November 20. Siddaramaiah was apparently supposed to relinquish his post to his deputy after two-and-a-half years and Shivakumar’s supporters have been claiming that it is time for him to keep his “promise” to leave the post. The CM has maintained on multiple occasions that he would serve the full five-year term.
Shivakumar also suggested he may travel to Delhi soon, downplaying any political significance of his proposed trip. “For Congressmen, going to Delhi is like going to a temple,” he said. “Whenever we need to, we go there.” He also described Bengaluru’s climate as comparable to that of Shimla, saying the weather makes the city a frequent destination for visitors and leaders alike.
However, the opposition BJP escalated its criticism of the ruling party, saying the Congress high command must immediately settle the leadership issue or dissolve the Assembly.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, responding to the breakfast meeting, said the encounter had failed to produce clarity or accountability. “It would have sent a message that all is well if the CM had said he would complete his term and the DCM had said he would drop his claims. But that did not happen,” he said in Hubballi.
He added that while a “ceasefire” appeared to be in place, the internal tension had “intensified.”
Joshi accused the Congress government of fostering widespread instability, alleging corruption, mismanagement and financial distress. “Political instability unseen anywhere else in the country is now in Karnataka,” he said, also claiming that efforts to buy legislators were underway. He criticised the Congress leadership in Delhi for remaining silent and said that state administration was being driven by officials operating “without boundaries.”
Pressure on the party has also emerged from within influential community organisations. On Saturday, several Vokkaliga groups in Mysuru held a motorcycle rally demanding that Shivakumar take over as chief minister for the remainder of the government’s term. Sri Nischalanandanatha Swamiji, who flagged off the rally, said the Congress “must honour its commitment,” arguing that Shivakumar played an essential role in securing the party’s victory in the 2023 elections.
In Bengaluru, the Vokkaligara Sangha issued a warning to the Congress leadership last week, saying the community would “teach a big lesson” if Shivakumar was denied the top post.
In contrast, AHINDA-based organisations and the Karnataka State Backward Classes Awareness Forum gathered in Mysuru to show support for Siddaramaiah. Passing resolutions insisting that he remain as chief minister, their leaders threatened protests at the AICC headquarters if he is replaced.
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