All India Congress Committee (AICC) Chief Mallikarjun Kharge held discussions with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar amid fresh speculation over the leadership issue.
Sources in the Congress said the informal meeting took place at the residence of the state Energy Minister K J George on Monday, shortly after the leaders returned from Kerala, where they had attended the swearing-in ceremony of the new Congress government. Kharge travelled from Thiruvananthapuram to Bengaluru along with Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar, and senior leaders.
As per reports, there's a power tussle between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. The power-sharing issue intensified after the Congress government completed its halfway mark in November 2025.
The discussion was mainly focused around recent political developments in the state and the continuing speculation surrounding the chief ministerial post. It is learnt that some leaders in the party were pushing for clarity from the high command regarding the leadership issue.
Madhugiri Congress MLA K N Rajanna hinted that an informal meeting on the leadership issue would have taken place.
"Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Siddaramaiah, and Shivakumar were there in Kerala. Why would discussions not have taken place there itself?" Rajanna asked while speaking to the media.
According to party insiders, Rahul Gandhi had earlier sought feedback from senior leaders, including George, regarding internal political equations in the state. Congress sources also indicated that several leaders are now waiting for party general secretary K C Venugopal to return from a short break, amid indications that further consultations could take place in Delhi in the coming days.
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