After CM Siddaramaiah’s resignation, the Karnataka Congress will hold a CLP meeting to decide the next leader. While DK Shivakumar is a top contender, the BJP has criticized the ruling party’s internal factionalism and its impact on governance.
Karnataka Congress is set to hold a crucial Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting in Bengaluru on Saturday amid ongoing organisational deliberations, leadership speculation, and continued political sparring over the internal dynamics of the ruling party following the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on May 28.
The CLP meeting comes after Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot accepted Siddaramaiah’s resignation and dissolved the Council of Ministers with immediate effect. However, Siddaramaiah has been asked to continue as Chief Minister until alternative arrangements are made.
Karnataka Congress president and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday said the CLP meeting will be held at 4 pm in Bengaluru in the presence of party observers, who will later consult the Congress high command before a final decision is taken on leadership and organisational matters. “A CLP meeting will be held in Bengaluru tomorrow at 4 PM. Our two observers will arrive. We will conduct the CLP meeting in their presence, and subsequently, they will take a call after consulting with the High Command,” Shivakumar told reporters in the national capital.
He further clarified that decisions regarding Rajya Sabha nominations and other organisational appointments, including MLCs, rest entirely with the party leadership in New Delhi. “We will release our list alongside those of other states. That is the information I have received. They (party high command) will inform you. This does not fall within my jurisdiction. The party high command will decide on this matter–even in the case of MLCs,” he said.
On the question of leadership transition and his possible elevation as Chief Minister, Shivakumar said he was not aware of any timeline and indicated that the decision would be taken after the election of the CLP leader. “I still do not know when they will elect the leader of the Congress Legislature Party. Then we will discuss,” he added.
High-Level Meetings in Delhi
Amid intensified internal discussions within the Karnataka Congress, DK Shivakumar today met party President Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi in the national capital. Shivakumar also met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi earlier in the day. Sharing a post on X, he said, “Met my leader and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, @RahulGandhi avaru in New Delhi today.” Met my leader and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Shri @RahulGandhi avaru in New Delhi today. pic.twitter.com/06zxMTkokJ — DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) May 29, 2026
The developments come amid intensified internal discussions within the Karnataka Congress over legislative leadership and organisational reshuffle, including Rajya Sabha and MLC nominations, following Siddaramaiah’s resignation as Chief Minister.
BJP Slams Congress Over Infighting
Meanwhile, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a sharp attack on the Congress, alleging that internal factionalism has weakened governance in the state. Former Karnataka Chief Minister DV Sadananda Gowda said the long-standing rivalry between the two top leaders has adversely impacted administration. “It is their internal problem. The fight between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar was continuously harming the administration of the state… There was a big competition between the two leaders, who had totally damaged the administration of the state. I think it is almost decided that DK Shivakumar will be the next CM,” he told ANI.
Union Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje also targeted the Congress government, claiming that governance in Karnataka has suffered due to prolonged infighting. “There is no government in Karnataka. We have been seeing that a fight has been going on for 3 years… They do not hold review meetings in the district… A fight for the chair was going on for the last year…” she told reporters.
Speaking to ANI, BJP MP Manan Kumar Mishra further alleged deep divisions within the Congress leadership and claimed that Siddaramaiah was pressured into resigning. “The reality is that the rift runs very deep. Siddaramaiah did not agree to this voluntarily; he was subjected to immense pressure, and consequently, he was compelled to resign. This government is not going to function under Shivakumar’s direction. Siddaramaiah is submitting his own list of names and laying down his specific conditions,” he said.
He added that the ongoing power struggle would continue to affect governance in the state. “Given the tug-of-war that has been ongoing there for years, such a situation was inevitable,” he said.
Varied Reactions to Leadership Change
Countering these claims, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Kumar Jha dismissed concerns over instability, saying the developments were a routine internal matter of the Congress party. “I don’t see any reason for instability. I’ve never witnessed such a seamless transition anywhere in recent days. Not even in the world’s largest party. I don’t see anything more in this,” he said.
Within the ruling party, senior leaders defended Siddaramaiah’s tenure and highlighted his leadership style. Former Karnataka minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said the outgoing Chief Minister had earned widespread respect. “The love and respect that people have for Siddaramaiah is immense. But I think yesterday, and the day before, and how he has conducted himself, it is amazing. The respect has gone tenfold now. He has never been after power,” he said.
Emotional Tributes for Outgoing CM
Meanwhile, speaking about Siddaramaiah’s resignation, Karnataka Minister MC Sudhakar became emotional, stating that the leader had delivered inclusive governance. “At that moment, we were all overwhelmed with emotion. We all felt deep pain. But we are all part of a political system. Power is not permanent for anyone. He provided excellent administration. Whether it was for the backward classes or all other communities, he worked to bring everyone together. He cared for the entire society, especially the poor, because he himself rose from poverty. As he said, no one in his family was in politics before him. He was the only educated person in his family. He probably never imagined he would reach such heights in the state. The way he conducted himself over the last two or three days has shown a unique path and direction in today’s often-distorted political landscape. D.K. Shivakumar was also overcome with emotion. We can never forget him,” he told reporters.
Sudhakar further added that the Congress high command had reportedly offered Siddaramaiah a Rajya Sabha role and other responsibilities, though the leader wished to continue working in Karnataka for now. He further added, “The Congress High Command has indeed offered him a role in the Rajya Sabha and promised him further responsibilities within the party. However, for now, Siddaramaiah has expressed his desire to stay in the state and continue working alongside us. He will remain with us, supporting the party and D.K. Shivakumar as he takes on his responsibilities. He will share his extensive experience to help run the government effectively and work towards bringing the Congress party back to power in 2028. He expressed this with all his heart.”
Congress MLA Basavaraj Shivannavar also appealed for inclusion in the state cabinet, saying, “I would request my leader and our High Command to appoint me as a minister as well.”
Meanwhile, Communist Party of India (CPI) General Secretary D Raja said the developments were entirely internal to the Congress and attributed the leadership transition to intervention by the party high command. “These are all developments in the Congress party because there was an issue to decide as to who should be the successor of Siddaramaiah. The so-called high command intervened and settled the issue,” he told ANI.
Astrologer Predicts Shivakumar’s Rise
Furthermore, the astrologer of Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar, Bellur Dwarakanath, has claimed that Shivakumar was destined to become Chief Minister much earlier, adding that his rise to the post has only been “delayed” but is now finally unfolding as per astrological indications. Speaking to ANI, Dwarakanath said that when Shivakumar first consulted him years ago, his “stars were strong” and he was “meant to become Chief Minister at least a year earlier.”
“When DK Shivakumar came to me many years back, looking at the stars, he had wonderful stars… Undoubtedly, God must have given him the position of Chief Minister earlier itself, about at least one year earlier. I am sorry to admit that it did not happen last year; it is coming now. Though it is delayed, God will not delay anybody… He got what he wanted…” he added.
He further claimed that such outcomes are guided by divine timing, stating that what is delayed is not denied. He added, “Without talking to me, he won’t go anywhere. Every morning, at least three days a week, he definitely speaks to me. I also speak to him… I am very fond of him… I treat him as a son… He, by heart, is a good person. Maybe he looks very odd or maybe arrogant, tough, arrogant. But it is not that. The truth is, he is a very kind-hearted person…”
As the CLP meeting approaches, with party observers set to oversee proceedings and the high command expected to take a final call on leadership and organisational appointments, Karnataka’s political landscape remains focused on the Congress’s internal decisions that could determine the state’s next phase of governance.
On Thursday, Siddaramaiah stepped down from the Chief Minister post, submitting his resignation to the Governor’s Special Secretary at Lok Bhavan, saying the decision was taken “voluntarily” on the suggestion of the Congress high command.
Siddaramiah served as the Chief Minister of Karnataka for two tenures, the first from 2013-2018 and then, after a resounding victory for the Indian National Congress in the 2023 Karnataka assembly elections, Siddaramaiah was sworn in for his second term as Chief Minister. He broke the historic record set by former Chief Minister D Devaraj Urs to become the longest-serving Chief Minister in Karnataka’s history. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)