Shivakumar Hugs Siddaramaiah, Seeks His Blessings At Breakfast Meet Amid Karnataka Power Buzz
Shivakumar Hugs Siddaramaiah, Seeks His Blessings At Breakfast Meet Amid Karnataka Power Buzz Published By, Last Updated: May 28, 2026, 10:33 IST DK Shivakumar sought
Shivakumar Hugs Siddaramaiah, Seeks His Blessings At Breakfast Meet Amid Karnataka Power Buzz Published By, Last Updated: May 28, 2026, 10:33 IST DK Shivakumar sought CM Siddaramaiah’s blessings during a breakfast meeting in Bengaluru, with photos of him hugging the veteran leader and touching his feet going viral. DK Shivakumar meets Siddaramaiah at breakfast meet (Photos: CNN-News18) Amid intensifying speculation over a leadership change in Karnataka, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Thursday publicly sought the blessings of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during a high-profile breakfast meeting at the latter’s official residence in Bengaluru. Visuals and photographs from the meeting quickly went viral, showing Shivakumar hugging Siddaramaiah and touching his feet in a gesture seen as politically significant at a time when the Congress leadership is believed to be working on a possible transition in the state. The breakfast meeting, attended by cabinet colleagues and senior leaders, came against the backdrop of reports that Siddaramaiah could step down as Chief Minister to make way for Shivakumar.
The Congress, however, has not officially announced any leadership change. According to news agency PTI, Siddaramaiah hosted the breakfast for his cabinet colleagues at his official residence on Thursday morning. Shivakumar, considered the frontrunner to replace Siddaramaiah if a change takes place, attended the meeting along with other ministers. The development came a day after hectic consultations in Delhi involving the Congress high command. Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar were summoned to the national capital earlier this week, where back-to-back meetings took place at the Congress headquarters with Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party general secretaries KC Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala. Reports indicate that the Congress leadership has asked Siddaramaiah to make way for a change in leadership in Karnataka after the government crossed the halfway mark of its five-year tenure. Sources also suggested that the veteran leader was offered a central role in the party along with a Rajya Sabha seat, though he has reportedly not immediately accepted the proposal.
Siddaramaiah had reportedly sought an appointment with Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot following the discussions with the high command. However, Lok Bhavan sources said the Governor was not in Bengaluru and had travelled to Indore for personal reasons. Meanwhile, Congress leaders maintained publicly that no formal decision had yet been taken regarding a change of chief minister. AICC General Secretary in charge of Karnataka, Randeep Singh Surjewala, on Wednesday clarified that the Congress had not convened a legislature party meeting and that the media should avoid speculation. The Congress Legislature Party formally elects its leader, who then becomes the chief minister. The leadership tussle within the Karnataka Congress has been simmering since the party came to power in May 2023. At the time, both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar were contenders for the chief minister’s post after the Congress secured a decisive Assembly election victory. With the government having crossed the halfway mark of its tenure in November 2025, pressure from Shivakumar’s camp for a transition has steadily intensified.
News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: May 28, 2026, 10:26 IST News india Shivakumar Hugs Siddaramaiah, Seeks His Blessings At Breakfast Meet Amid Karnataka Power Buzz Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...
The BriefWire