A statement by Congress MLA H.A. Iqbal Hussain in Karnataka has ignited a political storm. Hussain has claimed that Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar will be made the Chief Minister in the coming months.
New Delhi: The political circles in Karnataka are once again abuzz with discussions about a leadership change, just one year after the Congress government came to power. This time, the speculation has been fueled by Congress MLA H.A. Iqbal Hussain, who has claimed that Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar could soon take over the Chief Minister's chair.
Iqbal Hussain, considered close to D.K. Shivakumar, explicitly stated that the party high command will take the right decision soon and a leadership change could be decided within two to three months. His statement has caused a stir in Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's camp, as there has been a silent power struggle within the party for the past few months.
Shivakumar's strategy called historic
Speaking to the media, Iqbal Hussain said that no one needs to be told who made the biggest contribution to the Congress's return in Karnataka. He said that the way D.K. Shivakumar worked hard and strategized to bring the party to power will be recorded in history. Hussain said, everyone knows what the situation of the Congress would have been if Shivakumar wasn't there, and the high command knows this very well.
Iqbal Hussain's statement comes at a time when reports of continuous tension between the Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar camps have been emerging. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's son and Congress MLC Yathindra has dismissed all these speculations. Yathindra says that there is no question of changing the Chief Minister and the party is completely united. Yathindra said that such statements would send the wrong message to the public and harm the party.
However, Iqbal Hussain also hit back at Yathindra's statement and said, the decision was taken in Delhi before, and will be taken from there in the future. Everything will be clear in due time.
A rift visible between the two factions again
The tug-of-war over the CM post had started as soon as the Congress came to power last year. Then, taking a stern stance, the high command had brokered a compromise by making Siddaramaiah the Chief Minister and D.K. Shivakumar the Deputy Chief Minister. But despite this agreement, statements have been frequently made by the supporters of both leaders. Recently, Cooperation Minister K.N. Rajanna also created a stir by issuing a statement in favor of D.K. Shivakumar. Now, Iqbal Hussain's statement is adding fuel to the fire.
Randeep Surjewala in the field for damage control
To control the situation, the Congress high command has now decided to send Randeep Surjewala to Karnataka. Randeep Surjewala will stay in Bengaluru for the next two days, talk to the disgruntled MLAs of the party, and submit a report to the high command after assessing the entire situation. Party sources say that Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge are taking this matter seriously and do not want any kind of internal conflict to escalate publicly.
Political analysts believe that Iqbal Hussain's statement has not come out of nowhere, but may also hide a message from the Shivakumar camp. In fact, Shivakumar's supporters are constantly trying to create an atmosphere that their participation in power should be increased now. On the other hand, the people of the Siddaramaiah camp are seeing this as an attempt to destabilize their power. If the party high command does not resolve this dispute in time, its impact could also be felt on the preparations for the 2026 Lok Sabha elections.
Randeep Surjewala's visit
Now, all eyes are on Randeep Surjewala, who will be in Karnataka for two days from Monday and will try to resolve the situation. Surjewala's role is considered very important because he has extensive organizational experience and the skill to communicate with the leaders of both factions. Overall, a political war has once again intensified in the Karnataka Congress. The coming weeks will decide whether there will actually be a leadership change, or whether the party will continue to move forward based on the old agreement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.
