Bengaluru, June 30 (UNI) Amid heightened political buzz in Karnataka, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge today addressed speculation over a possible leadership change in the state, asserting that the decision rests solely with the party high command.

“So that is in the hands of the high command. Nobody can say here what is going on in the high command. This is left to the high command,” Kharge said, responding to reporters’ questions on the growing chatter that Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar may replace Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the coming months.

Kharge, who hails from Karnataka and is AICC president, warned party members against creating “unnecessary problems” through speculative statements. “The high command has got power to make changes, but unnecessarily one should not create problems,” he said, in a veiled message to state leaders publicly airing their preferences.

The remarks come at a time when several Congress MLAs in Karnataka have made public comments hinting at dissatisfaction within the party ranks and signalling support for Shivakumar to take over the CM post by rotation, as was reportedly discussed before the 2023 assembly elections.

Kharge’s intervention is being seen as an effort to quell internal unrest and reassert central control over state-level matters. His comments also underscore the party's traditional structure, where such key decisions are made by the top leadership in Delhi rather than through public debate.

While both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have so far maintained that they are committed to the collective leadership of the party, pressure has been mounting with periodic statements from factional supporters and senior MLAs.

The Congress high command has not issued any formal communication regarding a change, but party sources indicate that the leadership is closely monitoring the political situation in Karnataka, which is seen as a crucial state for the party after its sweeping victory in 2023.

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