DK Shivakumar’s loyalists head to Delhi amid his hint at quitting Karnataka Congress chief post, fuelling leadership shake-up buzz. Photo: ANI.
A group of legislators loyal to Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has reportedly travelled to New Delhi, fuelling speculation of an internal power tussle within the state Congress. The development comes just a day after Shivakumar suggested he may step down as Karnataka Congress president to “make way for others.”
According to PTI, Congress minister N Chaluvarayaswamy and MLAs Iqbal Hussain, H C Balakrishna and S R Srinivas left for the capital to meet senior Congress leaders. Another 12 MLAs are expected to join them on today on November 21. Their visit coincides with growing chatter over a possible leadership realignment in Karnataka as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah completes two-and-a-half years in office.
Addressing reporters on Wednesday, DK Shivakumar indicated that he may soon relinquish his role as the president of the party’s Karnataka unit.
“I cannot hold the post permanently. It has already been 5.5 years, and in March, it will be six years,” he said. Emphasising that he wanted fresh faces to take up the responsibility, he added, “Others should be given an opportunity. But I will be in the leadership. Don’t worry, I will be at the frontline.”
Shivakumar reiterated his commitment to strengthening the organisation, noting that he intended to set up 100 party offices during his tenure.
On Friday, Shivakumar sparked a new round of conjecture after posting a cryptic message on X as his loyalists headed to Delhi.
“Where there is effort, there is fruit; where there is devotion, there is the Lord,” the post read in translation.
He also shared a poster featuring excerpts from his recent speech at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee office during the birth anniversary event of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. In that address, he urged party workers to remain energised, loyal, and confident despite internal challenges.
Although Shivakumar did not explicitly address the leadership chatter, the timing, coming right after Siddaramaiah completed two-and-a-half years as Chief Minister, has revived discussions on whether the long-debated rotational chief ministership formula is resurfacing.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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