Three big players racing to grab Siddaramaiah's job? In Muda's wake, Karnataka political wheel may soon spin fast & furious

BENGALURU: Speculation is growing in Karnataka regarding the tenure of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, after senior ministers G Parameshwara, HC Mahadevappa, and Satish Jarkiholi met late Tuesday night. The ministers, who met at Mahadevappa's official residence, held their third meeting in the past few months, sparking rumours of lobbying for the top post.

The two-hour meeting has led to speculation that these ministers are preparing to push for a CM from the SC/ST community if Siddaramaiah steps down, ToI reported on October 3. Jarkiholi belongs to the ST community, while Parameshwara and Mahadevappa are from SC communities.

A senior Congress functionary said, "The meeting was part of a larger effort to strategise for the future."


For over a decade, some Congress members have called for a functionary from the SC/ST communities to assume the CM's post. With strong support from these communities during the 2023 assembly polls, the ministers believe it is an opportune moment to fulfill this demand.

“Parameshwara and Jarkiholi have been nursing ambitions to become CM, which is why they are advocating for a ‘Dalit CM’. Given the support of both communities, party high command might find it challenging to ignore their request. Their strategy is to secure at least the deputy CM’s position if the high command selects someone else as CM,” said another Congress functionary.

Some observers think these meetings could be a strategy to counter Deputy CM DK Shivakumar's move to succeed Siddaramaiah. There are reports of a deal by the Congress high command in 2023 for a power-sharing arrangement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, each serving 30 months.

Jarkiholi denied that the CM’s position was discussed during the meeting.