Mallikarjun Kharge on Karnataka CM Tussle: 'Confusion over Leadership Local, Not at High Command Level'

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said confusion over leadership in Karnataka exists only at the state level and not within the party’s national leadership, seeking to play down speculation

of a rift amid an ongoing power tussle between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy, DK Shivakumar.Speaking to reporters in Kalaburagi, Kharge rejected suggestions that the Congress high command was responsible for uncertainty in the state unit. “The high command hasn’t created any confusion. It exists at the local level,” he said, adding that local leaders should take responsibility for internal issues instead of shifting blame upward. “How is it right to put the blame on the high command?” he asked.Kharge also cautioned party leaders against claiming individual credit for the Congress’ electoral success in Karnataka. “Everyone has built the party. It’s not any individual’s effort. Congress has been built by party workers. Congress workers supported us,” he said, urging leaders to acknowledge the collective contribution of the cadre.

His remarks come amid renewed speculation over leadership arrangements in Karnataka, where the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy have both publicly asserted their positions. Siddaramaiah said on Friday that he was confident of completing his full five-year term, insisting that the party leadership supported him.Shivakumar, meanwhile, said the Congress high command had told both leaders they would be called to Delhi “at the appropriate time” to discuss the issue. “They have told both of us over phone as to when they will call us. We will go, both of us will go,” he told reporters in Bengaluru, adding that he would wait for the party leadership’s direction.

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Asked about Shivakumar’s possible visit to Delhi to meet senior leaders, Kharge said he had no information on the matter.The leadership debate has intensified as the Congress government in Karnataka crossed the halfway mark of its five-year term last month. Speculation has been fueled by a reported power-sharing understanding reached in 2023, when the party returned to power in the state.In recent days, Shivakumar has also met several leaders considered close to Siddaramaiah, including senior legislators and ministers, in what has been seen as an attempt to ease tensions within the party. He has said that any agreement reached with the involvement of the high command would be respected by both sides.