Karnataka Congress leadership talks in Delhi focus on Rajya Sabha, not CM change

The Indian National Congress high command summoned Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to New Delhi in late May 2026. The leaders arrived at Indira Bhavan for meetings that also included party president Mallikarjun Kharge, senior figures Rahul Gandhi, K.C. Venugopal and Randeep Surjewala, amid intense speculation about a possible change of chief minister and a cabinet reshuffle in the state.

Sources reported that the agenda would likely cover the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, Legislative Council polls and internal party balance, with both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar maintaining that they were unaware of the exact topics. Despite rumours of a rotational leadership formula, the post‑meeting statement by K.C. Venugopal clarified that the discussions were solely about the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for June 2026 and that there was no decision to alter the chief ministerial position.

Thus, while the Delhi meetings intensified political buzz in Karnataka, the Congress leadership affirmed that the state's leadership will remain unchanged for now, focusing instead on electoral strategy.