Overview
- Rahul Gandhi held brief private conversations with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar at Mysuru airport, with videos of the exchanges fueling fresh speculation.
- Siddaramaiah said no political discussion took place, rejected talk of a leadership change, and reiterated that any decision rests with the Congress high command.
- Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge stated the high command would summon Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for talks when required, reinforcing central control over the issue.
- Kharge publicly pressed for more equitable development, urging work in Kalaburagi to reach at least 75 percent of what he cited in Mysuru as a benchmark.
- Shivakumar has been named a senior observer for the Assam polls and is slated to visit Delhi on January 16, as the BJP attacked the Karnataka leadership for greeting Rahul Gandhi in Mysuru instead of hosting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Bengaluru.