Congress leadership churn back in focus as K’taka leaders head to Delhi

Bengaluru: Thedebate over a possible leadership change in the Karnataka Congress has once again moved to the centre stage, exposing the party’s continuing internal fault lines. Even as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar repeatedly assert that there is no rift between them and that the leadership issue is settled, statements and political movements within the party suggest otherwise.

The latest trigger is the steady stream of senior Congress leaders from Karnataka heading to New Delhi, raising speculation that more than one political objective is being pursued at a time. Officially, the leaders are travelling to participate in a massive Congress protest at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan against alleged “vote theft”. However, the timing of the visits has reignited talk of lobbying and internal consultations over the state’s leadership.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is scheduled to be in Delhi to take part in the protest. Almost simultaneously, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar is also travelling to the national capital, where he is expected to stay for three days. Sources indicate that Shivakumar’s visit serves multiple purposes. Apart from attending the party protest, he is also expected to appear before Delhi Police in connection with the National Herald case. During his extended stay, Shivakumar is likely to meet senior Congress leaders and members of the high command.

Political observers believe that if circumstances permit, the sensitive issue of leadership change in Karnataka could also come up during these interactions, despite repeated public denials by party leaders.

Adding to the intrigue, a delegation of Congress leaders from Mandya district, led by Minister Chaluvarayaswamy, has also left for Delhi. While the delegation is officially travelling in connection with the party’s protest programme, speculation is rife that they may seek an audience with the high command to put forth their views. Their visit has sparked talk that they could lobby in favour of Shivakumar, intensifying internal pressure within the party.

Within Karnataka’s political corridors, questions are being raised over whether the Delhi visits are part of a coordinated strategy to press for a leadership change or at least reopen discussions on power-sharing arrangements. This comes despite repeated assurances from both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar that there are no differences and that the party remains united.

The Congress high command has so far maintained silence, but the back-to-back Delhi visits by multiple state leaders suggest that the issue is far from settled. As the party prepares for national political battles, the renewed buzz around Karnataka’s leadership indicates that internal contradictions continue to simmer beneath the surface.