Siddaramaiah Says Congress Will Stay in Power, I Will Continue as CM

Amid ongoing speculation over Karnataka’s leadership, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday asserted that the Congress-led government will stay in power for two more years and that he will continue as the state’s Chief Minister .

Speaking at a campaign event for Congress candidate Umesh Meti in the Bagalkote by-poll, Siddaramaiah said, "We will be in power for two more years. I'm the Chief Minister of the state, we will be in power for two more years. If this constituency has to develop, it can be done only if the Congress candidate wins."

He expressed confidence that Umesh Meti would carry forward the work of his late father, H Y Meti , and urged voters to support him in the upcoming by-elections , scheduled for April 9 in Bagalkote and Davanagere South . These polls follow the deaths of senior Congress MLAs H Y Meti and Shamanur Shivashankarappa , respectively.

Siddaramaiah’s remarks come amid growing speculation about a possible change in Chief Minister at the halfway mark of the government’s five-year term, which ended November 20, 2025 , for the current Congress administration. The speculation has been fuelled by a reported power-sharing arrangement between Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar at the time of government formation in 2023. Party insiders also note that internal rivalries within the ruling Congress have intensified discussions about leadership rotation.

Despite these reports, Siddaramaiah underlined that the party high command will take the final call on leadership matters, while reassuring supporters of his commitment to continue as CM. The current Congress government’s tenure is set to end in 2028 .