Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar again dismissed speculation about a change in the State’s leadership, asserting that there has been no discussion with the Congress high command about the change.

“How many times do I tell you, it [speculations around Karnataka CM post] was not discussed at all? This issue was not discussed at all with the high command,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said on Friday (July 11, 2025).

Mr. Siddramaiah, who is in Delhi, met with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge along with other senior party leaders on Thursday (July 10), fanning the speculation over a possible CM change in Karnataka.

Taking to X, Mr. Siddaramaiah informed about Congress leaders meeting with Mr. Kharge, in which he mentioned that “several important issues” were discussed.

“In Delhi today, AICC leaders and senior state leaders met Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence and held discussions on several important issues.”

Not good to speak again and again: Shivakumar

Mr. Shivakumar said that the answer, that Siddaramaiah will remain CM, has already been given and “it is not good to speak again and again”

“The answer has already been given [by CM Siddaramaiah and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Surjewala]. When an answer has been provided, it’s not good to speak again and again, and asking the same thing again and again is also not right. You don’t want to make any comment now, and it’s unnecessary.” Mr. Shivakumar said.

On MLAs’ demand that he should replace Mr. Siddaramaiah as CM, Mr. Shivakumar said, “There will be aspirational statements by some, it could be you as well, but it’s unnecessary to make a comment now.”

Meanwhile, BJP leader Rachna Reddy said that Congress high command should clarify to Karnataka Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar whether they will fulfil their “promise” or “show the door” to him.

“The Congress high command should certainly clarify, if not to everyone, then certainly to Mr. DK Shivakumar, that he is going to be shown the door and that they will not fulfil the promise that they gave him, that forced him to become the Deputy Chief Minister,” Rachna Reddy said.

Earlier Karnataka Congress in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala held one to one meetings with Congress MLAs which sparked speculation over the party handing the leadership to D.K. Shivakumar.

However, Mr. Siddaramaiah has clarified to reporters that Mr. Surjewala clearly stated that the purpose of meeting the MLAs in the State is not the issue of change of Chief Ministers.

“The State Congress in charge has dismissed the question of a change in the Chief Minister, saying that there is no room for speculation on this issue. These speculations are created by the media, and there has been no discussion on the change of the Chief Minister in the Congress circle.”, CM said.

“The Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister have given a clear instruction that the party high command’s decision on this issue should be agreed upon, and we have both stated many times that we will abide by the high command’s decision. It is natural that the issue of transfer of power should arise when the government has been in power for two and a half years. But there is no agreement on this,” he added.