Shivakumar Signals Exit as Karnataka Congress Chief

• DK Shivakumar says his KPCC chief role cannot be “permanent”
• Supporters renew push for leadership transition in Karnataka
• Rumoured power-sharing deal deadline sparks fresh speculation
• Congress high command expected to intervene again

GG News Bureau
Bengaluru, 19th Nov: Senior Congress leader and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday revived speculation over a possible leadership change in the state, hinting he may step down as President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).

Speaking at a party event in Bengaluru, Shivakumar said he could not hold the post “permanently”, pointing out he has completed five-and-a-half years leading the state unit. “In March it will be six. I cannot hold the post permanently,” he said, while assuring supporters he would remain in the “frontline” of the Congress’ state leadership.

Shivakumar added that he wanted to open 100 party offices across Karnataka before relinquishing the role. He noted he had planned to step aside when he took office as deputy chief minister, but was asked to continue by Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.

After the event, Shivakumar told reporters he was “setting an example” as calls and chants from his supporters once again projected him as the next Chief Minister.

The remarks come at a politically charged moment for the Karnataka Congress. Following the party’s victory in the 2023 Assembly polls, Shivakumar and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah were locked in a prolonged tussle for the top post. The high command eventually handed the Chief Minister’s chair to Siddaramaiah, with Shivakumar elevated as his deputy and permitted to retain charge of the state unit.

That compromise was accompanied by talk of a two-and-a-half-year power-sharing formula — a timeline that coincides with this period. In recent months, Shivakumar’s camp repeatedly referenced the alleged agreement, prompting the Congress to dispatch senior leader Randeep Surjewala to defuse tensions.

A reshuffle in the party’s organisational leadership could now remove a key objection used by Siddaramaiah’s supporters — the ‘one man, one post’ principle — potentially clearing political ground for Shivakumar’s aspirations if a transition is approved.

For now, both leaders publicly maintain unity. The Chief Minister has previously asserted the government would run its full five-year term “like a rock”. Shivakumar flashed smiles beside him then — but his latest signal suggests the contest for Karnataka’s top seat is far from over.