On January 14, 2026, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar met senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at Mysuru airport, intensifying ongoing speculations about the state's leadership dynamics.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D.K. Shivakumar met Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi briefly on Tuesday at Mysuru airport. Gandhi stopped there en route back to New Delhi from Tamil Nadu’s Gudalur.
During the meeting, in which Gandhi spoke to both leaders together and separately, speculations about resolving the state’s internal leadership issues intensified. According to a Congress worker speaking on condition of anonymity, Gandhi did not clarify whether Siddaramaiah would continue as chief minister.
An aide of Shivakumar, also on condition of anonymity, claimed that Gandhi appreciated him for refraining from encouraging the ongoing speculation of a tussle for power. Speaking to reporters after Gandhi’s departure, Siddaramaiah said, “You (media) are the ones speculating. There is no such issue in the party.”
Responding to questions about certain MLAs declaring loyalty to Shivakumar and setting speculative deadlines for a change of guard, he said, “The MLAs don’t know the details, and the high command has not informed them. We will abide by the high command’s decision.”
Regarding AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge’s statement that local leaders should resolve the issue, the chief minister noted that Shivakumar and he had discussions and even visited each other’s houses for breakfast. The CM presented Gandhi with a miniature replica of the Mysuru Palace, while minister K.J. George gifted an elephant figurine. Shivakumar did not interact with the media.
The ongoing leadership speculation stems from a 2023 power-sharing understanding between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, which has periodically triggered rumours of an impending leadership change at the government’s halfway mark, recently crossed. Siddaramaiah, who recently surpassed his predecessor Devaraj Urs to become Karnataka’s longest-serving chief minister, has repeatedly asserted his intention to serve a full term.
