Senior ministers in the Karnataka government gathered at chief minister Siddaramaiah’s official residence on Thursday morning amid growing indications that the party was moving towards a possible transfer of power to deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar after days of consultations involving the Congress leadership in New Delhi.Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah (right) with deputy CM DK Shivakumar on Thursday. (HT Photo)The closed-door meeting at Cauvery, Siddaramaiah’s official residence in Bengaluru, took place against the backdrop of speculation within the party that the Congress high command had reached a decision on a leadership change, though no formal announcement had been made either by the party or Raj Bhavan.Among those who arrived for the breakfast meeting were ministers Priyank Kharge, KJ George, MB Patil, Ramalinga Reddy and HK Patil. Shivakumar was also expected to attend. Security around the residence was tightened as party leaders continued to arrive through the morning.People familiar with the discussions said Siddaramaiah was expected to make an announcement after the meeting. The chief minister had also sought time to meet Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot at Raj Bhavan on Thursday, fuelling speculation that he could submit his resignation.However, uncertainty remained over the timing of any formal move because the governor was away from Bengaluru. Officials said Gehlot had left for Indore late on Wednesday night because of a family emergency and no return schedule had been confirmed till Thursday morning.Even so, officials in the chief minister’s office (CMO) said Siddaramaiah intended to send his resignation to the governor’s office.The developments followed several rounds of discussions in New Delhi involving Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar and senior Congress leaders. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi are understood to have held separate as well as joint meetings with both leaders as the party weighed its options ahead of next month’s Rajya Sabha elections.At the centre of the internal tussle is Shivakumar’s longstanding push for the chief minister’s post. His supporters have maintained that an understanding was reached after the 2023 Assembly elections under which Siddaramaiah would head the government during the first half of the term before handing over charge to Shivakumar.By Wednesday evening, neither the Congress leadership nor Raj Bhavan had officially confirmed any change in leadership. However, senior party leaders privately acknowledged that Siddaramaiah could offer his resignation by Thursday afternoon.