Bengaluru, November 27, 2025 – In a sharp rebuttal to growing internal discord within the Karnataka Congress, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) and IT/BT Priyank Kharge asserted on Wednesday that the party’s legacy transcends any single leader, directly questioning the notion that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is indispensable to its survival.
Kharge's remarks came amid swirling speculations about potential leadership changes in the state, fueled by outspoken supporters of Siddaramaiah who have warned of dire consequences should the veteran leader be ousted. "The party does not stand because of any one person. Wasn’t there Congress before Siddaramaiah (joined it)? Siddaramaiah left an impression on all the communities in the state. Was it not the Congress party that made Siddaramaiah the CM? Mallikarjun Kharge, Siddaramaiah, D K Shivakumar, Dr Parameshwara, Satish Jarkiholi... all were raised by the workers," Kharge told reporters in Bengaluru, emphasizing the party's grassroots foundations.
The statement was a direct response to comments by Siddaramaiah's close aide and former Cooperation Minister KN Rajanna, who on Tuesday declared, "Congress is a big zero without CM Siddaramaiah." Rajanna's outburst highlighted fears among the CM's camp that internal rivalries could jeopardize the government's stability just two years into its term.
Priyank Kharge, son of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, also dismissed rumors positioning his father as a contender for the chief ministership, calling such speculation a recurring "irrelevant" trope during elections. He reiterated that decisions on leadership rest with the party's high command and the Congress Legislature Party (CLP), which elected Siddaramaiah in 2023. "When necessary, the high command will finally decide," Kharge added, underscoring the party's institutional mechanisms over individual ambitions.
Adding to the fray, Siddaramaiah's economic advisor Basavaraj Rayareddy firmly backed the CM's continuation, stating in Koppal that Siddaramaiah "will complete his full term" and ruling out any power-sharing deal with Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. Rayareddy rebuked "overconfident" voices, including Ramanagara MLA Iqbal Hussain's prediction of Shivakumar's imminent elevation, as mere "sarcasm" from vested interests aiming to destabilize the administration. "There is no factionalism in our party. We are all united," he insisted, while acknowledging natural aspirations among leaders for higher roles.
The exchanges reflect deepening fault lines in Karnataka's Congress unit, where the high-stakes 2023 assembly election victory—ending a 15-year BJP interlude—has been overshadowed by power struggles. Siddaramaiah, a five-time MLA and former Janata Dal (Secular) leader who joined Congress in 2006, was chosen as CLP leader in a hard-fought contest against Shivakumar. Despite public displays of unity, whispers of discontent have persisted, particularly over portfolio allocations and the CM's health concerns earlier this year.
Kharge's intervention also touched on his recent meeting with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi, where he briefed the former on the Bengaluru Tech Summit-2025. Defending the interaction, Kharge quipped, "If not Rahul Gandhi, who should I meet, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat? If not reporting the outcome to the CM and the DCM should I report it to Keshavakripa?"—a sarcastic nod to perceived external influences.
As the Karnataka government navigates these internal tremors, party observers warn that prolonged infighting could erode public trust ahead of local body elections. For now, both camps appear to signal deference to the high command, but the rhetoric suggests the battle for narrative control is far from over.
The Congress high command has yet to issue an official statement, but sources indicate ongoing consultations to maintain equilibrium. Siddaramaiah's office could not be reached for immediate comment on the developments.
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