Chief minister Siddaramaiah arrived in New Delhi on Friday to attend a Congress Working Committee meeting scheduled for December 27 at Indira Bhavan.
The meeting will bring together chief ministers from the 3 states currently governed by the Congress. Siddaramaiah will be joined by Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy and Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu.
The Karnataka delegation will also include CWC members B K Hariprasad, Nasir Hussain, and Veerappa Moily.
The agenda, according to party officials, includes a review of the recent elections in 5 states, discussions on allegations of vote theft, the National Herald case, and the Congress’s move to oppose the Centre over the move to overhaul the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
Siddaramaiah’s presence in Delhi comes after earlier uncertainty over whether he had been invited to the meeting.
Even as the chief minister joined national leaders in Delhi, the State Backward Classes Awareness Forum announced plans to hold an Ahinda convention in Mysuru on January 25, 2026, framing the event as a show of support for Siddaramaiah, in the wake of the persistent speculation over a change in the state’s top leadership. Organisers said the programme was intended to underline his political importance to communities represented by the Ahinda bloc.
Leaders of the forum finalised the date and venue at a preliminary meeting in Mysuru on Friday, where it was decided that between 25,000 and 30,000 people would be mobilised for the event. Forum president K Shivaram, coordinator Yogesh, and senior leader Nanjundaswamy were among those present, along with more than 25 representatives from various Ahinda groups.
Shivaram said Siddaramaiah would not attend the convention himself, but invitations would be extended to writers, progressive thinkers, and select Congress leaders. He said the purpose of the gathering was to assert that the chief minister should not be disturbed politically, describing him as the only leader in the state representing Ahinda groups, which include minorities, Other Backward Classes, and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
He warned that removing Siddaramaiah could cost the Congress its Ahinda support base. “The event will demonstrate Siddaramaiah’s indispensability to the Congress party,” Shivaram said.
Reacting from Delhi, deputy chief minister and state Congress chief DK Shivakumar struck a restrained note when asked about the proposed convention. “I wish everyone good luck,” he said.
At a press conference at Karnataka Bhavan, Shivakumar sought to downplay speculation about the purported leadership dispute. “I love being a party worker more than holding any position in the party. That is a permanent position for me. Since 1980, I have been a party worker, and I will continue to be a party worker in the future as well,” he said.
When asked whether he would be content to continue as deputy chief minister for 5 years, he repeated, “I will remain a party worker. The position of party worker is the only permanent position for me.”
Meanwhile, Congress MLA and former minister K N Rajanna, considered close to Siddaramaiah, said the party high command alone would decide on any leadership changes in Karnataka. He also suggested that the central leadership may not intervene immediately.
Meanwhile, party insiders said Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has received multiple assessments on the possible consequences of altering the leadership in Karnataka, including inputs from election strategist Sunil Kanugol. According to party insiders, these reports have contributed to a pause on any decision regarding a change of guard.
While Shivakumar is yet to secure a meeting with Rahul Gandhi, Siddaramaiah’s supporters, including MLC B K Hariprasad and minister K J George, recently met him in Delhi.