Power Tussle Peaks In Karnataka; Third Group Of MLAs Backing Shivakumar Reach Delhi

Last Updated:November 24, 2025, 11:24 IST

Congress MLAs aligned with DK Shivakumar arrived in Delhi urging leadership to replace the CM, citing a promised mid-term power transfer. Siddaramaiah denies any leadership change.

There has been much speculation about a possible leadership change in Karnataka, suggesting that CM Siddaramaiah (R) could step down to make way for his deputy DK Shivakumar (L). (Image: PTI/File)

As the power struggle in Karnataka intensified, a third group of Congress MLAs aligned with Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar arrived in Delhi overnight to reportedly urge the party high command to replace Chief Minister Siddaramaiah with Shivakumar.

This comes after two batches of MLAs had travelled to Delhi last week, putting renewed pressure on the party’s central leadership to address the long-discussed power-sharing formula as the Congress government in Karnataka crossed the halfway mark of its term.

A group of six to seven MLAs, including Iqbal Hussain, Basavaraj Shivaganga, and Kadaluru Uday have landed in Delhi.

Amid the rapid political developments, Shivakumar also met minister KJ George, a senior leader known to be close to Siddaramaiah, on Sunday evening. George, along with Siddaramaiah, had earlier met Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.

Shivakumar and George are understood to have discussed the unfolding situation.

Congress leaders aligned with Shivakumar claim that when Siddaramaiah was appointed Chief Minister in May 2023, the party leadership had assured a mid-term transfer of power to Shivakumar after 2.5 years. His camp is now pressing the high command to “honour that commitment" and implement the power-sharing formula.

‘Only Media Speculation’

However, Siddaramaiah on Saturday sought to quell growing political speculation, asserting there was no question of a leadership change in the state.

The clarification came after he met Mallikarjun Kharge at the latter’s residence in Bengaluru, amid an ongoing power tussle within the ruling party.

The CM stressed that the meeting was simply a courtesy call following Kharge’s return from New Delhi on Friday evening.

“Apart from the courtesy call, we discussed the organisation and upcoming local body elections, including the Bengaluru municipal polls," the chief minister told PTI.

The chief minister also claimed he did not question Kharge about the sudden gathering of several Congress MLAs from Karnataka in Delhi. “If at all I have to gather information… I will collect it from the intelligence department," he said.

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