Key Takeaways:
- Home Minister G. Parameshwara urges Congress high command to decide on any leadership change before February so the state budget can be prepared without disruption.
- Speculation surrounds Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s position as he vows to present a record 17th budget while some leaders urge Parameshwara as a potential successor.
- Parameshwara said calls for him to become chief minister reflect affection and that the party high command holds full information to decide on any leadership change.
- Party unity and the practical need to prepare the budget on schedule are cited as reasons for a prompt decision from the national leadership.
Bengaluru — Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara has urged the Congress high command to take any decision on a change of chief minister before February, arguing that the state must begin preparing its budget on time. His remarks come amid growing speculation about the future of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who has said he will present a record 17th budget next year.
Karnataka leadership decision
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Parameshwara stressed that budget preparation will start in February and that delaying a leadership decision beyond that point could complicate the fiscal planning process. “Budget work will begin in February, there is roughly a month to go. If the high command wants to decide anything on leadership, they should do it before then,” he said, noting that the commitments made to the people must guide the budget.
The statement came as rumours circulate inside party circles about Siddaramaiah’s continuance as chief minister. Siddaramaiah, who also holds the finance portfolio, presented his 16th budget in March. He has since said he intends to present the 2026-27 budget next March, which would be his 17th.
Parameshwara’s comments also followed demonstrations at a Congress Working Committee meeting in Delhi where some workers demanded that he be made chief minister. Asked about the chants, he responded lightly, saying those pleas were likely offered out of affection and that he could not, and would not, ask supporters to refrain from expressing goodwill.
He added that the Congress high command has full information on the leadership situation and will make decisions in its own time. “They will collect information through the general secretary and their own channels. They know what and when to decide,” Parameshwara said.
Parameshwara, a former state Congress president, has publicly acknowledged his own interest in the post in recent statements. The demand for a Dalit chief minister has also surfaced within the party as a possibility should a change be considered. Party insiders say that if a transition takes place, Siddaramaiah’s faction could back Parameshwara or another senior leader as a successor.
On a lighter note, Parameshwara dismissed a remark by legislator Iqbal Hussain that there was a “200 percent” chance Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar would become chief minister on a specified date. Parameshwara joked that once Hussain says something, it tends to be treated as certain, and that the matter is not for him to confirm or deny.
Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah has publicly stated he intends to remain in office and that the party high command supports him. Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar has said he and Siddaramaiah reached an understanding with the high command and will adhere to it.
With the budget timetable looming, Parameshwara’s appeal for an early decision underscores the practical pressures that can shape internal party choices. The Congress national leadership will now have to weigh factional considerations alongside the administrative need to keep the state’s fiscal calendar on track.
