Bengaluru. The ongoing internal strife within Karnataka’s ruling Congress party over cabinet expansion and reshuffle has now come out in the open. Around 30 to 35 disgruntled Congress MLAs have planned to travel to Delhi to pressure the high command, demanding inclusion of new and young faces in the state cabinet. This move has caused a stir within the state and central leadership.
Senior party MLA Belur Gopal Krishna has made it clear that this faction will reach the national capital by May 28th or 29th. Their main agenda is to pressure the party high command to remove the old ministers from the current cabinet and assign the red light (ministerial positions) to at least 20 new MLAs. The MLAs say that this change must occur within the next 15 days, once the government’s three-year term is complete. MLA Gopal Krishna issued a stern warning that if new faces are not given a chance, they will not hesitate to take any drastic action. He described the situation as a “do-or-die” fight.
MLA Krishna recalled that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had previously promised to include 15 new faces in the cabinet. However, the MLAs are now demanding that this number be increased to at least 20. The dissident camp argues that the leaders who have held ministerial positions for the past three years have enjoyed enough power. Now others should be given the opportunity to strengthen the organization.
He explained that while only 25 MLAs supported this demand last month, the number has now grown to 35. He added that there’s no rule that once a minister is appointed, the same person remains in office for the entire five years. We gave the current ministers a three-year extension and an additional six months after the government’s half-term. This surgery is crucial if the Congress party is to survive in Karnataka.
When MLA Krishna was questioned about speculation about a change in the state’s Chief Minister, he said, “It’s entirely the party high command’s prerogative. We’re only talking about our rights and representation. Whether the Chief Minister will be changed or not is something only the central leadership can answer.” However, he reiterated that if the cabinet expansion doesn’t happen within 15 days, the MLAs have other options open to them, which they will consider.
According to sources, many senior and first-time MLAs in the queue are already camping in Delhi and are continuously meeting senior AICC leaders.
Siddaramaiah vs Shivakumar: The battle for power intensifies
The ongoing power struggle between the two biggest leaders of Karnataka Congress is believed to be the main reason behind this entire incident:
- Alleged two-and-a-half-year agreement: Discussions have been common within the party for a long time that at the time of government formation in 2023, there was an alleged agreement between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar for the post of Chief Minister for two-and-a-half years each, the term of which has ended in November 2025.
- The two captains have different tactics: According to reports in political circles, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wants a cabinet reshuffle as soon as possible to strengthen his position by wooing new MLAs. In contrast, DK Shivakumar’s faction wants the high command to make the final decision on the leadership change (chief minister’s replacement) before the reshuffle.
- Political analysts’ opinion: If the Congress high command gives Siddaramaiah the green light to make major cabinet changes now, it will send a clear and direct message that Siddaramaiah will remain Chief Minister for the entire five years. In such a situation, DK Shivakumar’s hopes of becoming Chief Minister could suffer a major setback. This is why the game of checkmate is currently at its peak in state politics.
