Siddaramaiah says Congress high command decision on CM post final, committed to it

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday asserted that any decision by the Congress high command regarding the Chief Minister’s post is final, and he will fully abide by it. He clarified that he has no plans to go to Delhi to discuss the matter and will do so only if summoned by the party leadership.

The CM’s remarks came in response to comments made earlier by his deputy and contender for the CM post, D K Shivakumar , who stated there was “no confusion” over the leadership issue, claiming discussions had occurred in the presence of the high command. Siddaramaiah, however, refrained from commenting on Shivakumar’s statement directly, saying, “If he has said something, you ask him. I don’t know. I’m committed to what the high command says.”

The leadership tussle has resurfaced as speculation over a possible CM change grows, following the government’s halfway mark of its five-year term in November 2025. The issue has been fueled by a reported “ power-sharing ” arrangement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar when the Congress formed the government in 2023. Siddaramaiah’s son and MLC, Yathindra Siddaramaiah , last week emphasised that his father is expected to complete the full five-year term , reportedly with high command approval.

On Tuesday, Siddaramaiah confirmed that Shivakumar had sent a letter requesting to miss pre-budget meetings with the Water Resources and Bengaluru Development departments, citing his role as senior observer for the upcoming Assam assembly polls . The CM stated that the meetings would proceed in Shivakumar’s absence.

Siddaramaiah, who also holds the Finance portfolio , is currently conducting pre-budget meetings for the 2026-27 budget , which is expected to be presented in March . This will be his 17th budget .

Addressing allegations by former BJP MP Prathap Simha that Yathindra Siddaramaiah was interfering in administrative matters , including official transfers, the CM dismissed the claims, noting that Simha was not even given a ticket to contest the Lok Sabha polls.