Bengaluru: The political corridors of Karnataka were abuzz on Thursday with speculation of a major reshuffle in the Congress government in November, even as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his Cabinet colleagues remained tight-lipped.
Amid the buzz, Siddaramaiah is set to host a luncheon for his Cabinet colleagues and ruling party legislators on October 13.
The speculation comes in the backdrop of public statements by some MLAs expressing their desire for Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar to take over as the state’s CM. There is growing chatter within political circles, especially within Congress, of a possible “change of guard” in Karnataka by the end of November.
Hearsay also points to a possible power‑sharing agreement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. Following the Assembly election results in May 2023, there was intense competition between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for the chief minister’s post.
The Congress later convinced Shivakumar to accept the Deputy CM position.
Reports at the time pointed to a ‘rotational chief minister formula’, under which Shivakumar would assume the top post after two-and-a-half years, though the party has not officially confirmed this.
Siddaramaiah has consistently stated that he will complete his full five-year term, but also emphasised that he will abide by the party high command’s decision. While declining to comment on the reshuffle speculation, Shivakumar told reporters on Thursday, “It is a matter left to the party high command and the chief minister.” mpost