'Next few days are very crucial for Congress': Power tussle is getting bigger as Moily backs Shivakumar as Karnataka CM

Karnataka BJP President BY Vijayendra has claimed that the power struggle within the ruling Congress is intensifying, with multiple factions vying for the Chief Minister’s seat. “Next few days are very crucial for the ruling Congress government. The race for the CM seat is getting bigger day by day. The number of aspirants is increasing,” Vijayendra said, adding that tensions within the party were spilling into the open.

According to Vijayendra, “Senior ministers within the cabinet are publicly attacking DK Shivakumar, and a few other ministers want Siddaramaiah to continue as the CM. A couple of other MLAs want Shivakumar as the CM. The power tussle is getting bigger and bigger. And now Dr M Veerappa Moily's statement has added more fire to this entire controversy.”

A fresh wave of speculation was triggered by former Karnataka CM Veerappa Moily, who recently threw his weight behind Deputy CM Shivakumar, asserting that his elevation to Chief Minister was only a matter of time. Speaking at an event in Udupi, Moily recalled how he had helped Shivakumar secure his first Assembly ticket, saying, “I am the one who secured the MLA ticket for DK Shivakumar for the first time. Today, he has become a successful leader in Karnataka. We all wish for him to become the Chief Minister soon.”

Moily insisted that Shivakumar’s rise was inevitable, adding, “Nobody can stop him from becoming Chief Minister. The course of history has already been written. Either today or tomorrow, it will happen—it’s just a matter of time.”

His sentiments were echoed by Congress MLA Basavaraju Shivaganga, who declared that Shivakumar would become CM in December 2025. “Write it down and keep it. If you want, I will write it in blood and give it to you. He will take charge in December,” Shivaganga said.

However, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge downplayed Moily’s remarks, saying that no decision had been made regarding a leadership change. “Neither Moily nor anyone else said that DK Shivakumar is going to be the CM today or tomorrow. They said that one day, he would be rewarded for his hard work. High command will decide it,” Kharge clarified.

Amid the political wrangling, Shivakumar himself dismissed speculation, reaffirming his loyalty to the Congress leadership. “I have not put any condition on anyone, and there is no need to put any condition. I'm a Karyakarta, I work according to what the party tells me. Putting conditions or blackmailing is not in my blood. I'm a loyal Congress worker,” he said.

The leadership battle traces back to May 2023, when the Congress high command chose Siddaramaiah as CM over Shivakumar, despite stiff competition between the two. Reports at the time suggested a rotational chief ministership formula, where Shivakumar would take over after 2.5 years, though this has never been officially confirmed by the party.