Amid intense speculation over a leadership change or a Cabinet reshuffle as the government of Karnataka recently crossed the three-year mark, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will be meeting the Congress central leadership to discuss the impending elections to the Rajya Sabha and the Legislative Council on May 26 morning.

Though Congress general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala told presspersons in Bengaluru that it would be a consultation meeting ahead of the elections to Rajya Sabha and vacancies that would arise in the Karnataka Legislative Council, speculation on the leadership issue has refused to die down.

Mr. Surjewala even asked for a thaw in speculation since Rajya Sabha elections had been notified. Elections are scheduled for June 18. Congress is likely to win three out of the four seats that will fall vacant from Karnataka.

While Mr. Siddaramaiah is learnt to have received a call to meet the central leadership late on May 24 evening, sources close to him said that the meeting follows his earlier request to discuss a Cabinet reshuffle. It is learnt that he had sought a meeting with Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi when he met him during the swearing in ceremony of Keralam Chief Minister V.D. Satheeshan.

The Karnataka Chief Minister has been pushing for a Cabinet reshuffle for the past six months, which is speculated to cement his position in the leadership tussle with Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. Sources close to the Chief Minister indicated that 10 to 12 Cabinet Ministers are likely to be dropped over performance, caste and regional combination factors. Legislators aspiring for a Cabinet berth are likely to go to Delhi after the Chief Minister’s visit, sources said.

Mr. Shivakumar and Mr. Surjewala are expected to be part of the meeting along with Congress president Mallikarjun M. Kharge and Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal, sources close to Mr. Shivakumar said, adding that that the meeting was primarily to discuss the Rajya Sabha elections, and the leadership issue could possibly crop up during the deliberations.

Mr. Kharge’s tenure in the Rajya Sabha comes to an end in June, and his renomination is also a likely subject. Multiple Congress party sources said that though there has been speculation of Mr. Kharge’s return to State politics as a balancing factor between the Chief Minister and Deputy CM’s factions, the veteran leader, who is also Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, is not favourable to the idea.

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Shivakumar initially said, “I do not know what Mr. Surjewala has told you. I will go if I am called. Otherwise, I will stay here. When the party calls, I have to go.” Asked if the leadership issue would be discussed, he said, “I don’t know, and I do not want to comment on it.”

However, later, he said he was most likely to go to Delhi as Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, among other things, is on the agenda.