Amid a growing debate over leadership transition in Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar met for a crucial 40-minute breakfast meeting at the CM’s residence, Cauvery, in Bengaluru on Saturday, November 29. The meeting, convened at the direction of the Congress high command, aimed to calm speculation around an ongoing power tussle within the state unit.
Both leaders later shared posts on X expressing cordiality and signalling that internal issues were being handled collectively.
Siddaramaiah wrote simply:
“I had breakfast with D.K. Shivakumar.”
Shivakumar, however, offered a more telling update: “A productive discussion on Karnataka’s priorities and the road ahead.”
A photograph of the duo sharing a traditional Karnataka breakfast upma, idli and kesari bath was widely circulated, appearing to underline the message that the party wants unity projected publicly.
Shift of Power Likely by 2026
According to senior Congress sources, the party is now shaping what is being informally referred to as the Siddaramaiah–Shivakumar transition formula. Under this arrangement, Shivakumar is expected to take over as Chief Minister sometime between March and April 2026. Until then, he will continue serving as Deputy CM while negotiations around Cabinet reshuffles and power-sharing are ironed out.
Congress sources say the high command wants to avoid a public confrontation in Karnataka one of the few major states where the party continues to govern. Removing Siddaramaiah abruptly, they believe, would damage the party’s stability and alienate core AHINDA voters.
Shivakumar, meanwhile, is seen as willing to accept a gradual transition because:
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His loyalists may gain Cabinet berths in the upcoming reshuffle
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He will retain his role as Karnataka Congress president
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He does not currently have the MLAs needed for a show of strength
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A negotiated settlement offers the best long-term political gains
He is expected to meet central party leaders in Delhi later today to finalise the roadmap.
Balancing Caste Equations
The Congress high command is also weighing caste dynamics. Siddaramaiah remains the strongest face of the influential AHINDA coalition minorities, backward classes and Dalits while Shivakumar represents the powerful Vokkaliga community in southern Karnataka.
Ensuring a stable, carefully timed transition is crucial to preserving both support bases, senior party leaders say.
As Karnataka crosses the halfway mark of its five-year term, the party appears determined to keep differences behind closed doors. The breakfast diplomacy between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar is being viewed as the first major step toward a controlled and negotiated shift in leadership.
