DK Shivakumar to Succeed Siddaramaiah as Karnataka CM? Congress Issues Gag Order to MLAs Amid Leadership Speculation

Bengaluru: Speculation about a leadership change in Karnataka has intensified, prompting the ruling Congress and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to issue a strict directive to party legislators. At a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting on Monday, MLAs were told to refrain from making public statements about the issue and to abide by the party high command’s decisions.

The meeting, attended by senior Congress leaders Randeep Singh Surjewala and Jairam Ramesh, came in response to ministers and legislators openly discussing the possibility of a leadership change, with opinions divided between support and rejection of the idea.

Buzz about a potential power shift has been fueled by Siddaramaiah’s recent dinner with Dalit and ST ministers at Minister Satish Jarkiholi’s residence. Reports suggest that a “rotational chief minister” or “power-sharing” agreement was reached in 2023, following the Congress’s election victory. Both Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar were contenders for the top post, and the arrangement reportedly involved Siddaramaiah stepping down after the state budget in March.

While Shivakumar and his supporters are keen for the agreement to be honored, Siddaramaiah’s loyalists are reportedly unwilling to accept him as the next Chief Minister. To strengthen his position, Siddaramaiah has assured MLAs that Rs 10 crore will be immediately allocated for constituency development, with additional grants promised in the upcoming budget.

As tensions simmer, the Congress leadership has called for unity and discipline among its members, emphasizing the need to focus on governance rather than internal disputes.

News Source : “Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.”