'Always Brothers': Siddaramaiah Denies Rift With Shivakumar, Deflects CM Query To Congress Brass

Last Updated:December 02, 2025, 16:54 IST

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah said his equation with his deputy, DK Shivakumar, remains unchanged and they are united like brothers since they share the same ideology and party

Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar met today. (Image: X)

Amid breakfast meetings and power games, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said his equation with his deputy, DK Shivakumar, remains unchanged and they are united like brothers since they share the same ideology and party.

Soon after his blunt statement that the Congress high command will decide if DK Shivakumar will be chief minister, Siddaramaiah changed tack and adopted a more conciliatory tone by saying he has no differences at all with him.

“DK Shivakumar and I, being in the same party, will always be brothers. The two of us, sharing the same ideology, will work together and also face the 2028 assembly elections together, bringing the Congress back to power in the state. There are no differences of opinion between us; we will work together for the welfare of the state," Siddaramaiah said in Kannada on X.

He went a step further to deny any rift with Shivakumar, saying even the Congress MLAs are united and were only expressing their opinion.

“There are no differences of opinion among any of the Congress MLAs. The MLAs have only expressed their opinions. All Congress MLAs will participate in the session and unitedly confront the opposition," he wrote on X.

Taking on a slightly cryptic tone in one of his latest posts, Siddaramaiah said he and Shivakumar will be guided by the Congress high command in all decisions “in the days ahead". He, however, reiterated and made it “clear" that there are no differences between the two and they “are running the government together, and we will continue to run it unitedly in the future".

“…Whatever decisions we take – whether in today’s breakfast meeting or in the days ahead – both of us will follow the guidance and decisions of the High Command: Shri Rahul Gandhi, Smt. Sonia Gandhi, and Shri Mallikarjun Kharge. If they call us, we will certainly go to New Delhi," he wrote in another post about his breakfast meeting with Shivakumar earlier.

He added: “Tomorrow, I will also be meeting Shri KC Venugopal at a function where both of us have been invited. Let me make this very clear: there are no differences between us. DK Shivakumar and I are united, we are running the government together, and we will continue to run it unitedly in the future."

He said Shivakumar invited him for breakfast and the two met in the presence of Congress leader DK Suresh and Kunigal MLA HD Ranganath. He said the two decided to hold a meeting of all MPs representing Karnataka on December 8, the day the state assembly session starts.

“…after breakfast, DK Shivakumar and I discussed the upcoming assembly session starting December 8 and the strategies we should adopt. We also spoke about convening a meeting of all MPs representing Karnataka. It has been decided that we will hold this meeting on December 8, where we will ask the MPs to raise in Parliament the issues concerning our farmers and the people of Karnataka," he said.

The breakfast meeting was another “show of unity" in the ongoing power dynamics in the state. While both leaders asserted they are “together", the focus immediately moved to their upcoming meeting with the central leadership.

The pair is planning to travel to Delhi on December 8, where they will be meeting Congress MPs from the state. Political observers said this is crucial for resolving internal friction and charting the course for the remainder of the term. Adding to the high-level consultations, the CM is also scheduled to meet with KC Venugopal at a function in Mangaluru on Wednesday (December 3). 

The most telling exchange, however, centred on Shivakumar’s future role. When directly questioned about the possibility of him becoming CM, Siddaramaiah’s response was sharp and definitive by placing the final decision firmly outside the state unit.

“He will become CM when high command says," he said, stressing on the party hierarchy. Asked for a direct timeline, he said: “When the high command says."

Crucially, both leaders stressed absolute deference to the central authority. “Both of us should listen to whatever decision is taken by the high command; Rahul ji, Sonia ji, Kharge ji," he said.

News politics 'Always Brothers': Siddaramaiah Denies Rift With Shivakumar, Deflects CM Query To Congress Brass

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