More than two years after it began, the Congress‘ Karnataka ‘game of thrones’ – the squabble between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar for the chief minister’s post – could end. And that arrival of that end could be hastened by the efforts of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who reports indicate is actively involved in these talks and is pushing for a leadership change.
On Tuesday afternoon, sources said the squabbling leaders met with Congress boss Mallikarjun Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and General Secretary KC Venugopal, independently and together, for hours to work out a formula to allow the veteran his exit (maybe with a Rajya Sabha seat) and install his challenger to guide the party through the 2028 election.
The Congress, NDTV was told, has been aware for some time that a change is necessary to counter Karnataka’s anti-incumbency factor and make sure its rival, the Bharatiya Janata Party, cannot halt its shrinking footprint in the southern states.
To that end, the four leaders reportedly impressed on Siddaramaiah the need to let DKS take over.
That the party has been circumspect so far has been put down to the chief minister’s crucial Ahinda support base, i.e., voters from minority communities, backward classes, and Dalits who back him, thereby giving him the title of a ‘mass leader’.
The party was hesitant about angering that vote base, particularly before an election. In fact, Ahinda support had allowed the Congress to circumvent the state’s otherwise bi-polar caste landscape, i.e., the Vokkaliga-Lingayat divide, in the last election.
NDTV Explains | Hidden Caste Face-off In Siddaramaiah-DKS Karnataka Battle
But now it appears Siddaramaiah’s time has come.
Why a change is needed
Becaue apart from his age – Siddaramaiah will be 80 in 2028 – the chief minister’s governance record is seen as poor, which is one reason why the cabinet reshuffle he had asked for has failed to materialise so far.
Siddaramaiah is the longest-serving Chief Minister of Karnataka (File)
The ideal solution is for Siddaramaiah to stand down of his own volition.
Why DKS’ claim is strong
Now, Shivakumar is simultaneously the deputy chief minister and chief of the Congress’ state unit, two high-profile posts that do not normally fall to the same person, at least under the ‘one man, one post’ credo Gandhi has urged.
But that DKS holds these is evidence of his value to the Congress.
DKS could replace Siddaramaiah as Chief Minister sooner rather than later (File)
Shivakumar belongs to the Vokkaliga caste – traditionally a stronghold of the Janata Dal Secular. Making him chief minister could steal valuable votes from that community. That would not only impact the JDS but, crucially, also the BJP, its ally.
On the flip side, DKS does face corruption charges and that will certainly be a line of attack for the opposition.
What happened last year?
The last big flare-up was in November 2025 when the Congress government completed two-and-a-half years in power. Hitting the halfway mark was the cue for DKS’ supporters to make public references to the ‘agreement’ the two party reportedly executed after the 2023 win.
The ‘agreement’ was that Siddaramaiah and DKS would ‘share’ power, i.e., each would be chief minister for two-and-a-half years. Neither leader, nor the party, has acknowledged such a ‘deal’.
Troubleshooter Surjewala was sent down to put out the fire, again, which he did, again, by urging the warring factions to focus on the Kerala and Tamil Nadu elections – which were then six months away. But now those polls are over – the Congress won Kerala and controversially aligned with actor-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam to share power in Tamil Nadu.
And it seems it is time for another round of ‘who will be Karnataka chief minister’.
RECAP | Siddaramaiah vs DKS Is Not New. A Look At What Happened In 2023, 2018
Talk of an end to this struggle has been amplified by a rush of senior Karnataka leaders travelling to Delhi. The group includes ministers and ministerial aspirants from both camps who will likely set up cheerleading booths on the meetings’ sidelines.