Leadership change in Karnataka appeared imminent, after it emerged on Tuesday (May 26, 2026) that the Congress high command has offered Chief Minister Siddaramaiah a seat in the Rajya Sabha as a candidate in the forthcoming elections.

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Whether or not Mr. Siddaramaiah agrees to be a candidate for the June 18 Rajya Sabha polls, sources close to him indicated that he is likely to announce his decision on May 28. His deputy D.K. Shivakumar has been an aspirant for the State’s top post ever since the Congress government reached its half-year-mark in November 2025. However, Mr. Siddaramaiah need not resign immediately, sources said.

Official line

Officially, party general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal said the day-long deliberations were only about selecting candidates for the Rajya Sabha and Karnataka Legislative Council elections, and dismissed the question of leadership change at a press briefing. 

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However, post the meeting with the high command, Mr. Siddaramaiah was huddled in a meeting with his loyalists and Cabinet ministers at Delhi’s Sundar Nagar residence of Minister K.J. George.

“Today’s discussions concentrated on the Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council election candidates in Karnataka. Whatever speculation you people are doing remains speculation only. There is no reality in it,” Mr. Venugopal told reporters earlier in the day.

Despite this official line, there were enough indications that leadership change was a key discussion points in the meeting.

AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Mr. Venugopal, and AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala held several rounds of discussions with Mr. Siddaramaiah and Mr. Shivakumar at the party headquarters in New Delhi. Mr. Siddaramaiah also held a one-on-one meeting with Mr. Gandhi, sources said.

Sources said that the Congress high command cannot push through a leadership change if Mr. Siddaramaiah, a prominent OBC face, does not agree. That is why the party officially downplayed any talk of leadership change, sources added. Mr. Siddaramaiah is currently the only OBC Chief Minister among the four Congress-ruled States.

Meeting inconclusive

A senior party functionary said the Congress high command appeared unable to arrive at a final decision on three key issues — leadership change, a Cabinet reshuffle, and the appointment of a new Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president.

Mr. Venugopal did not take questions from the media after the meeting. Mr. Shivakumar, who appeared subdued, also declined to respond to queries regarding the leadership issue.

Mr. Siddaramaiah, however, reiterated that the discussions were centred on the selection of candidates for the Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections.

After setbacks in recent Assembly elections in States such as West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Assam, party sources said the Congress leadership was likely to take more time before handing out any final decision on crucial issues such as leadership change.

While Mr. Siddaramaiah has consistently maintained that he is keen on a Cabinet reshuffle, Mr. Shivakumar is believed to be aspiring for the Chief Minister’s post.

A party leader camping in Delhi said the high command was unlikely to risk removing Mr. Siddaramaiah immediately in the present political scenario, citing his AHINDA support base and influence among Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The leader added that any leadership change would likely happen only if Mr. Siddaramaiah himself agreed to step down following a suggestion from Mr. Gandhi.

Mr. Siddaramaiah held a breakfast meeting with loyalist Ministers at Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi.

Nearly a dozen Ministers, around 40 legislators, and supporters of various leaders are currently camping in New Delhi in anticipation of a major announcement from the Congress high command.

On RS polls

Of the four Rajya Sabha seats falling vacant in Karnataka, the Congress is expected to win three, while the BJP–JD(S) alliance is likely to secure one seat.

Mr. Kharge’s Rajya Sabha term ends in June, and he is expected to be re-elected from Karnataka. Mr. Shivakumar is also believed to be pushing for his brother, D.K. Suresh, to be nominated as one of the party’s candidates. June 8 is the last date for filing nomination papers to the Rajya Sabha.

The Congress is likely to secure four of the seven vacant Legislative Council seats, based on its current strength in the Legislative Assembly.