Jarkiholi is increasingly being projected as Siddaramaiah’s successor and a future AHINDA face, even as CM downplays speculation. Home Minister G. Parameshwara’s assertion that he remains in the CM race has added a new twist to the already heated contest.
BY PC Bureau
Karnataka’s political temperature spiked this week after Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar held a late-night, closed-door meeting with minister Satish Jarkiholi, a leader increasingly viewed as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s political successor. The hush-hush meeting, which went on well past midnight on Tuesday, comes at a time of intense speculation over a possible leadership change in the state.
Both leaders reportedly drove to an undisclosed location late Tuesday night to “sort out differences” and discuss the future of the party. Sources close to both camps say the talks focused on steering the Congress beyond Siddaramaiah, who is widely believed to be nearing the end of his electoral career.
According to aides, Jarkiholi conveyed that he is “working out issues” with Shivakumar. The meeting is being viewed as a potential softening of positions between two camps that have recently shown signs of strain.
Siddaramaiah’s Son Clears the Path
The push to elevate Jarkiholi gained momentum last month after Yatindra Siddaramaiah — the CM’s son — called him the “inheritor of Siddaramaiah’s political legacy”, someone capable of carrying forward the influential AHINDA coalition of OBCs, minorities and SC/ST groups.
Congress insiders say discussions are underway to position Jarkiholi as a major OBC–AHINDA face, signalling a larger social-coalition strategy being crafted in the background.
The D.K. Shivakumar faction is refusing to relinquish its stake without a fight. Several MLAs loyal to the deputy CM flew to Delhi on Sunday night, with more expected to arrive.
At least ten MLAs met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, a move seen as a show of strength.
Ramanagara MLA Iqbal Hussain, echoing strong support for Shivakumar, said:
“I am 200 per cent sure Shivakumar will become CM soon… The power transfer is a deal among five or six leaders. They will decide.”
This has reignited chatter about a 2023 power-sharing agreement, which the Congress high command has never publicly acknowledged.
Just days before the midnight meeting, Jarkiholi made an oblique swipe at Shivakumar’s claims of delivering victory.
“Everyone contributed equally to bringing the Congress to power… No single individual can claim credit,” he said, signalling the simmering friction between the two leaders.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has been tight-lipped about the growing leadership chatter.
“Whatever happens, the high command will do it. There’s nothing more to say,” he told reporters on Tuesday, neither confirming nor denying speculation.
His remarks have only fed the perception that Delhi may eventually be forced to intervene.
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A Third Claimant Emerges
Adding a fresh twist, Home Minister G. Parameshwara — a veteran Dalit leader — hinted that he too remains in the chief ministerial race.
At a dinner hosted by Jarkiholi for Dalit leaders, Parameshwara said:
“I have always been in the CM race… I don’t know what would have happened if I had won in 2013.”
His comments underline a brewing three-cornered contest within the party.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has tried to play down the noise, dismissing talk of leadership change as “unnecessary debate”. He linked the chatter to the upcoming cabinet reshuffle, which will fill two vacant ministerial slots.
Yet, his repeated reminder that the high command holds the final say has only helped fuel speculation rather than silence it.
Realignment or Rebellion?
The Shivakumar–Jarkiholi midnight meeting has triggered talk of a major internal restructuring within the Karnataka Congress. While some interpret it as the beginning of a truce, others see it as the calm before another round of political hard-bargaining.
With MLAs gathering in Delhi, ministers staking claims, factions hardening positions, and leadership questions left unanswered, the Congress high command now faces one of its most delicate tests in the state in recent years.
For now, Karnataka awaits the next move — one that could determine not just the future chief minister, but the balance of power within the Congress itself.
