Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday drew a clear line between the party’s central leadership and the simmering power struggle in Karnataka, saying the confusion over leadership exists only at the local level and not within the party high command.
Speaking to reporters, Kharge rejected suggestions that the party leadership in Delhi was responsible for the uncertainty, arguing that local leaders must take responsibility for their internal disagreements. “The high command hasn’t created any confusion. It exists at the local level,” he said, asking, “How is it right to put the blame on the high command?”
Kharge also issued a caution to party leaders against claiming personal credit for the Congress’s electoral success in the state. Emphasising the role of the organisation and its cadre, Kharge said the party’s victories were the result of collective effort rather than individual ambition.
“Everyone has built the party. It’s not any individual’s effort. Congress has been built by party workers. Congress workers supported us,” he said, without naming any leader.
His remarks come amid continuing speculation over leadership and power sharing in Karnataka, where chief minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy, DK Shivakumar, have been widely seen as rivals for the top post. Siddaramaiah said on Friday that he was confident the party leadership supported him completing a full five-year term as chief minister.
Asked about reports that Shivakumar was travelling to Delhi to meet the party leadership, Kharge said he had no information about such a visit. “I don’t have information on the matter,” he said.
The leadership question has lingered since the Congress returned to power in Karnataka in May 2023, defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party.
It has been widely reported that the party leadership had, at the time, promised Shivakumar the chief minister’s post in the second half of the government’s term, while opting for Siddaramaiah to lead the government initially.
Shivakumar, who is also the president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, has repeatedly denied that he is at odds with the chief minister. Speaking to the media near his residence in Sadashivanagar on Sunday, he insisted that there were no differences within the leadership.
“I have no differences with any Congress leader. Aren’t I and the CM working together like brothers?” he said.
Responding to questions about meetings with leaders close to Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar dismissed suggestions of factional manoeuvring. “Is the CM close to him? He is also close to me. Tell me who he is not close to. Am I not close to the CM?” he said, referring to MLA KN Rajanna.
On reports that he was seeking political support through such meetings, Shivakumar said, “We are colleagues. They have worked with us. I have no differences with anyone. For the past 16 years, since the day he joined our party, have there been any differences between me and the Chief Minister? The media and opposition parties are creating differences. They are creating the food they need. On some occasions, they have made political statements. Can we get bored with this? It’s like brothers and sisters fighting, so what’s our fight?”
Shivakumar also confirmed that he planned to meet Rajanna, a Congress MLA and minister, after a brief interaction on Saturday.
“Rajanna is our MLA, a fellow minister. We will have a cordial meeting. We could not talk properly on Saturday. I have said that I will meet him today as well. I will meet him later because I have a programme with the Governor,” he said.
Even as the top leadership sought to project unity, concerns within the party have become more explicit. Senior Congress leader and All India Congress Committee member VR Sudarshan has written to Kharge, urging an immediate resolution to what he described as continuing speculation over power sharing. Sudarshan, a former chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council, warned that “continued leadership ambiguity” was beginning to affect the state.
“Immediate decision and direction are required to strengthen the administration of the Karnataka Government and the affairs of the Party,” Sudarshan wrote in his letter, reflecting growing anxiety that public disagreement over the chief minister’s post could weaken governance and stall momentum.
When asked about Sudarshan’s letter seeking clarity from the high command, Shivakumar dismissed the premise of confusion altogether.
“In my opinion, there is no confusion. Where is the confusion? The confusion is created by the media and the BJP. There are a lot of problems in their party, which is why they are doing it. The media also needs news. That’s why they are showing it every day,” he said.