Karnataka’s Chief Minister Siddaramaiah with Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar in New Delhi on May 26, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Amid fast-paced developments in Karnataka, all eyes are now on the breakfast meeting on May 28 being hosted by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who has been asked by the Congress high command to move to the Rajya Sabha, thus paving the way for a leadership change.On the list of invitees are his Cabinet colleagues, including his deputy D.K. Shivakumar, who has been a contender for the top post ever since the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year-tenure in November 2025. The breakfast meeting is at the Chief Minister’s official residence in Bengaluru at 9 a.m.It is being speculated that the Chief Minister would announce his decision post the breakfast meeting. There is an indication that he might meet the Governor later in the day. AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala is also expected to reach Bengaluru to oversee the transition on May 28.Is Siddaramaiah insisting that new dispensation have multiple Deputy CMs?Whether or not Mr. Siddaramaiah would take up the Rajya Sabha offer is still in the realm of speculation, considering his reluctance in the past to move away from State politics.The other point of speculation is how his son Yathindra Siddaramaiah will be accommodated in the new dispensation. This is expected to be part of the discussions in the event of a transition of power.Sources indicate that the new ministry might have multiple deputy chief ministers, with a carefully calculated caste combination.These flurry of development follow the Congress high command’s crucial meeting with Mr. Siddaramaiah and Mr. Shivakumar in Delhi on May 26 to discuss the leadership issue.AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, party general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal, and Mr. Surjewala had 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, it was learnt.Though Mr. Venugopal had said, post the day-long deliberations, that they were only focused on selecting candidates for the Rajya Sabha and Karnataka Legislative Council elections (scheduled on July 18), it was clear that leadership change was the key issue under discussion.Post the meeting with the high command, Mr. Siddaramaiah met his loyalists and Cabinet ministers at the residence of Minister K.J. George, at Sundar Nagar in Delhi. He reached Bengaluru late on May 26 night.Given the stature of Mr. Siddaramaiah as a senior leader and a key OBC face of the party, the Congress high command cannot push through a leadership change if Mr. Siddaramaiah does not show readiness for a transition. Mr. Siddaramaiah is currently the only OBC Chief Minister among the four Congress-ruled States. This is why the Congress high command is keen to ensure that the transition is smooth, and has him on board. Published - May 27, 2026 12:43 pm IST
