Overview
- Siddaramaiah met Rahul Gandhi on November 15 and publicly said they discussed only the Bihar setback, denying any talk of a Karnataka cabinet reshuffle.
- Congress sources and several reports say Siddaramaiah discussed a reshuffle and sought or received conditional approval, with final sign-off expected from Mallikarjun Kharge.
- Siddaramaiah plans further meetings in Delhi, including with Kharge and AICC leaders, and he is slated to seek the Prime Minister’s time to raise issues including support for sugarcane growers.
- Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar remains in Delhi, has sought time with Rahul Gandhi, and denies any rift with the Chief Minister as speculation over power equations grows.
- Senior state leaders such as G. Parameshwara and Satish Jarkiholi indicate a reshuffle is likely without a leadership change, with reports suggesting 8–12 ministers could be replaced to rebalance representation before or around the December 8 session.