Overview
- After a meeting at Mallikarjun Kharge’s Bengaluru residence, Chief Minister M. Siddaramaiah called the session a courtesy call, rejected talk of a change at the top as media speculation, and said he will continue to present future budgets.
- Congress sources say Kharge has taken a non-committal stance for now and is set to consult Rahul Gandhi, with Siddaramaiah indicating he will travel to Delhi whenever called.
- Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar publicly wished the CM well, reiterated that both leaders will follow the high command’s decision, and downplayed coordinated dissent even as his supporters press their case.
- Groups of Shivakumar-aligned MLAs and MLCs have visited New Delhi to lobby for a handover they claim was informally agreed in 2023, while reports also noted a signature drive and a jail visit to meet two Congress MLAs.
- AICC in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala cautioned party leaders against public remarks on the issue, as BJP and JD(S) figures amplified the unrest to question the government’s stability.