In mid‑December, the political landscape in Karnataka was still heating up as the leading contenders for the chief minister’s post went about their separate agendas. On Wednesday, Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar departed for Delhi, saying he would attend a friend’s daughter’s wedding that evening and later a large voting‑campaign event on 14 December at Ramleela Maidan. “I have asked all my cabinet ministers to take 300 people from every district to Delhi, and I’ve also told all the MLAs,” he told reporters before leaving the state capital.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was on hand in Mangalore for a round‑table with National General Secretary and MP K.C. Venugopal, as well as several ministers from the AHINDA wing. “Let him go. Who has stopped him?” he told the press, adding that he would only travel to Delhi if formally invited, a scenario he said would have been signalled by Venugopal. When asked about his own travel, Siddaramaiah said, “I will go to Delhi only if I am called. I have not been invited, and I am not going. If anything of that sort was to happen, Venugopal would have informed me.”
Shivakumar later added that the “vote‑chori campaign” was launched elsewhere in the country and that there might be a postponement due to the scale of the event. He also appeared to defend meetings with party leaders, noting, “What’s wrong if Siddaramaiah meets Venugopal? What’s wrong if he meets AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge? They discuss party matters.” He downplayed slogans, saying, “Admirers raise slogans. In politics, there will be slogans for us and against us. We cannot bother too much about it.”
According to the itinerary, Shivakumar will stay overnight in Delhi, returning to Bengaluru by 10:55 a.m. Thursday, and he may use the wedding function and his time in the capital to catch up with national leaders and possibly meet Rahul Gandhi and Randeep Singh Surjewala. Sources suggest he will also brief national cadres about the internal fight for control in the state.
In contrast, CM Siddaramaiah appeared focused on pulling strong faces from the AHINDA group. During a program at Mangalore University, he and K.C. Venugopal had a reportedly sharp discussion on stage, followed by a lunch with ministers G. Parameshwara, H.C. Mahadevappa, Satish Jarkiholi, Laxmi Hebbalkar, Dinesh Gundu Rao, Zameer Ahmad Khan, MLC B.K. Hariprasad and other senior figures. When asked about the gathering, minister Laxmi Hebbalkar said, “There won’t be any political discussions. I don’t know about it. You (media) will have to ask the leaders.”
A notable omission was that Shivakumar was not invited to that program, a move seen as a deliberate signal of Siddaramaiah’s growing influence within the central leadership. Earlier that day, supporters of both leaders rallied outside the airport. Those backing Shivakumar shouted slogans demanding he be made Chief Minister, while Siddaramaiah’s followers countered with “Siddu full‑term CM,” creating a sharp divide among the party’s ranks. At the airport, Venugopal’s arrival sparked another wave of pro‑Shivakumar chants, leaving him in a tight spot.
Upon exiting the airport, Siddaramaiah was greeted with state honours, prompting his supporters to cheer even louder. Senior MLC Ivan D’Souza also joined the cheers, chanting “Siddu full‑term CM” and encouraging fans to repeat the chant. Besides minister Laxmi Hebbalkar, nearly all the ministers present identified with the AHINDA movement, which represents Alpasankhyataru (Minorities), Hindulidavaru (Backward Classes), and Dalitaru (Dalits). Hebbalkar, who runs Udupi district, is well‑known as a close ally of Shivakumar.
Thus, as the leadership horse race unfolds, the state and the national party remain closely intertwined, with each side attempting to project strength while navigating the passionate support and opposition of their own cadres.
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