Delhi Visit by DKS Camp MLAs Rekindles Karnataka’s Brewing Chief Minister Clash

A contingent of Karnataka Congress MLAs, known for their vocal support of Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar amid his ongoing power tussle with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, arrived in New Delhi late Thursday, coinciding with the expiration of a rumored power-sharing agreement between the two leaders. The group, including Ramanagara MLA Iqbal Hussain—who in July publicly claimed 100 MLAs backed Shivakumar—was ostensibly in the capital for official business tied to the Department of Agriculture. However, the timing and composition of the delegation, featuring influential lawmakers from the politically dominant Vokkaliga community to which Shivakumar belongs, have fueled fresh speculation about an imminent leadership shift in the southern state.

The alleged agreement, brokered by the Congress high command in 2023 to avert a post-election crisis following the party's victory, reportedly stipulated that Siddaramaiah would step down midway through the term—precisely on November 20—to allow Shivakumar to assume the chief ministership for the remainder. Despite repeated denials from the party leadership, Siddaramaiah, and Shivakumar himself, the arrangement has loomed large over Karnataka politics. Siddaramaiah has steadfastly asserted his intent to serve the full five-year term, dismissing whispers of a "November revolution" as media fabrications and claiming his position has only strengthened. Shivakumar, meanwhile, has publicly reaffirmed loyalty to his senior colleague, though subtle reservations have occasionally surfaced, including recent comments hinting at relinquishing his role as Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president to adhere to the "one man, one post" principle.

The internal discord traces back to the Congress's narrow 2023 Assembly win, where factional rivalries nearly derailed government formation. Shivakumar, a key architect of the victory through his role in securing crucial Vokkaliga votes, was placated with the deputy chief minister post, while Siddaramaiah—veteran leader and the party's preferred face—took the helm. Efforts to quell the feud intensified in June, when senior Congress fixer Randeep Surjewala intervened in Bengaluru, explicitly ruling out any leadership change. A public display of unity followed at a Mysuru event, where the duo clasped hands and exchanged high-fives, with Siddaramaiah vowing the government's stability "like a rock" for the full term. Yet, Shivakumar's supporters persisted in their advocacy, undeterred by his pleas to cease public campaigning on his behalf.

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Compounding the intrigue, Shivakumar's brother, Congress MP DK Suresh, recently amplified calls for change by remarking that Siddaramaiah is "not the kind of person who goes back on his word," implying an expectation of transition if circumstances align. This comes against the backdrop of the Congress's bruising defeats in the Delhi and Bihar Assembly polls earlier in 2025, where the party secured just 19 seats combined, heightening the stakes for maintaining cohesion in Karnataka as a bulwark for its southern fortunes. As the MLAs' Delhi visit unfolds, all eyes remain on the high command's response, with the southern state's political equilibrium hanging in the balance amid denials that ring increasingly hollow.

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