‘Entire high command will make a decision’: Mallikarjun Kharge on Karnataka CM post tussle

BENGALURU: Amid speculation over the Chief Ministerial post, Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday said a decision will be made after a discussion among the high command, CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar.

The speculation stirred as the Karnataka government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Kharge stated that it will be a collective decision. “I will call everyone and have a discussion. Rahul Gandhi will also remain present in that discussion. Other members will also remain present. CM and Dy CM will also remain present. The decision will be made after a discussion with all of these. There is a team. I am not alone. The entire high command team will discuss and make a decision”, he told reporters.

#WATCH | Bengaluru | On Karnataka CM row, Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge says, “I will call everyone and have a discussion. Rahul Gandhi will also remain present in that discussion. Other members will also remain present. CM and Dy CM will also remain present. The… pic.twitter.com/u27mDTIk05

— ANI (@ANI) November 27, 2025

Earlier on Thursday, Deputy CM DK Shivakumar shared a social media post amid speculation of a power tussle between him and CM Siddaramaiah, reiterating, “Keeping one’s word is the greatest strength in the world”. In the X post, which is speculatively directed at the Congress high command, D K Shivakumar asked everyone, including himself, to keep their promises.

The post read, “Word power is world power. The biggest force in the world was to keep one’s word. Be it a judge, president or anyone else, including myself, everyone has to walk the talk”.

ಕೊಟ್ಟ ಮಾತು ಉಳಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದೇ ವಿಶ್ವದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ದೊಡ್ಡ ಶಕ್ತಿ! pic.twitter.com/klregNRUtv

— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) November 27, 2025

On Wednesday, senior Congress MLA and former minister KN Rajanna said the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) should decide the chief minister, and hence “dissolve the assembly and face elections”. He said it was the CLP which had elected Siddaramaiah as the CM.

“Let’s dissolve (the Assembly) and face the elections. Then let’s work together under the leadership of DK Shivakumar and come up with a majority. Then let him serve as the CM for 5 years. Wasn’t it the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) that elected Siddaramaiah? Now the decision should be made by the CLP,” the Congress MLA told reporters.

However, Rajanna favoured Siddaramaiah and also threw in the name of state home minister G Parameshwara, suggesting him as the “second option” for the Chief Minister’s post.

“The high command said not to talk about leadership. That’s why I won’t talk about it. My personal wish is that Siddaramaiah should be the CM for five years. The AICC will clarify in the next couple of days. Otherwise, the second option is that Dr G Parameshwara should become the CM,” he said.

While CM Siddaramaiah has termed it an “unnecessary debate” and DK Shivakumar reiterated his loyalty to the Congress and dismissed speculation over his resignation as Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, the Deputy CM has also sought a meeting with senior party leader Sonia Gandhi on November 29 to discuss the ongoing issues. (ANI)