Bengaluru, November 2025 — In an attempt to end speculation over leadership rotation and reinforce Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s position for the remainder of the five-year term, his supporters have proposed a new compromise within the Karnataka Congress: formally declaring Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar as the party’s Chief Ministerial candidate for the 2028 Assembly elections.
The Proposed ‘2028 Formula’
According to party sources, the formula is designed to deliver two key outcomes:
- Full Term for Siddaramaiah: Ensure the Chief Minister completes his tenure until 2028 without a mid-term handover.
- Succession Assurance for Shivakumar: Offer D.K. Shivakumar the official CM face position for the next election, acknowledging his long-standing ambition for the top job.
Siddaramaiah’s camp believes this could stabilise the government and settle internal anxieties over alleged power-sharing commitments.
Fresh Turbulence Within Congress
However, the proposal has triggered new friction instead of calming the ongoing tussle between the state’s two tallest Congress leaders.
- Delay Tactics Alleged: Political observers view the move as an attempt by the Siddaramaiah faction to push back any leadership transition, despite earlier reports suggesting an informal rotational arrangement in which Shivakumar would take over mid-term.
- Shivakumar’s Lobbying: D.K. Shivakumar, who also heads the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), has reportedly continued lobbying the Congress high command for the CM post. The 2028 offer recognises his aspiration but effectively postpones it.
- New Aspirants Emerge: The formula has also drawn other contenders into the arena. Senior minister Satish Jarkiholi publicly signalled his interest in contesting for the Chief Minister’s post in 2028, hinting at a potential multi-cornered race for succession.
High Command Faces a Delicate Balancing Act
The Congress leadership in New Delhi must now navigate deepening rifts between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, whose partnership was crucial to the party’s victory in Karnataka. Maintaining unity in the state — one of the Congress’s strongest political bases — is seen as vital for the party’s national strategy ahead of 2028.
