Amid continuing speculation over internal shifts within the Karnataka Congress, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday firmly dismissed suggestions that his late-night meeting with senior minister Satish Jarkiholi had any connection to the ongoing discussion over leadership changes in the state. According to Shivakumar, the meeting was part of a routine political review, aimed entirely at assessing the party’s performance and preparing for the 2028 assembly elections.

Shivakumar, who also heads the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), described his interactions with Satish Jarkiholi as regular and strategic, given the latter’s importance within the party’s organisational structure. He praised Jarkiholi as “a big asset to the party,” explaining that their meeting was part of broader efforts to evaluate what the Congress needs to accomplish during the remaining half of its term.

“We have completed two and a half years in government. We discussed what needs to be done in the next two and a half years. There was nothing more to the discussion,” Shivakumar said, responding to reporters who asked if the meeting indicated renewed pressure for change at the top. His statement sought to quell rumours that the gathering had been politically charged or aimed at reshaping the power balance between himself and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

In recent weeks, the Karnataka Congress has been the subject of persistent speculation about leadership realignment, largely because of periodic expressions of ambition within the party and the perceived power struggle between Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah. However, the deputy chief minister downplayed any such aspirations, insisting that personal positions are secondary to the collective goal of ensuring a Congress victory in the 2028 assembly polls.

“CM post or higher position is not as important as working together with everyone in the party and bringing the party back to power,” he said, reiterating his emphasis on unity and disciplined organisational work. His remarks echoed the party high command’s repeated instructions to leaders in Karnataka to remain focused on governance and long-term electoral performance rather than engage in factional competition.

Shivakumar also dismissed reports that certain Congress MLAs had visited Delhi to lobby for him or advocate for leadership changes. According to media speculation earlier this week, a few legislators were believed to have travelled to the national capital to present their views on the internal political situation in Karnataka. The deputy chief minister flatly denied any connection between the visit and discussions about the chief minister’s position.

“I don’t know anything about it,” he said. “They must have gone there because they are aspiring to become ministers during the Cabinet reshuffle. That is natural.” He emphasized that decisions regarding Cabinet expansion, reshuffles, or leadership matters rest solely with the party’s senior leadership and not with internal groups seeking advancement.

The deputy chief minister’s clarification came a day after his meeting with Jarkiholi triggered intense discussion among political observers. Given Jarkiholi’s stature, influence over legislators, and perceived proximity to key decision-makers, the timing of the meeting fuelled speculation about behind-the-scenes manoeuvring within the ruling party. Some analysts also pointed to Jarkiholi’s longstanding cordial relations with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as an indication that the meeting might have involved sensitive negotiations over political equations within the government.

However, Jarkiholi himself dismissed all such interpretations. Speaking to the media on Wednesday, he reiterated full support for Siddaramaiah and expressed confidence in the leadership structure already in place. “There is always leadership inside the party. In any party, a leader is picked, and we have picked Siddaramaiah. It was the same earlier and is the same today. There won’t be any change in that,” Jarkiholi said.

Often listed by political analysts as one of the Congress leaders who could be considered for the chief minister’s role in the future, Satish Jarkiholi has consistently avoided public statements that might be construed as expressing ambition. He maintained that Tuesday’s meeting with Shivakumar carried no special significance and was no different from previous interactions between the two.

“There is no need to attribute special meaning to the meeting,” he said. “I have met Shivakumar several times before. This discussion was like our earlier discussions.” Jarkiholi emphasised that the Congress leadership must focus on governance and organisational consolidation rather than remain distracted by rumours.

The twin clarifications by both leaders signal an attempt to stabilise the party’s image at a moment when Karnataka politics is under intense media scrutiny. With the half-way mark of the government’s tenure now crossed, the Congress faces the dual task of strengthening governance delivery and preparing for potential political challenges in the coming years. Cabinet reshuffles—which are expected sometime soon—have also contributed to heightened lobbying among MLAs, creating an environment in which any meeting between senior leaders tends to attract outsized attention.

The Congress high command, particularly in Delhi, is reported to be monitoring the situation closely. Leaders in the central leadership have repeatedly advised the Karnataka unit to avoid public disagreements and maintain cohesion ahead of upcoming electoral cycles. The party’s national narrative emphasises stability, effective governance, and avoidance of factional debates that could weaken its organisational structure in the state.

For Shivakumar, the current phase presents an opportunity to reinforce his image as a strategist and organisational leader with a strong focus on long-term outcomes. His public statements indicate that he does not wish to be seen as contributing to perceived friction within the government. Instead, he is positioning himself as a team player committed to the Congress’s overarching goals.

The emphasis on the 2028 assembly elections is strategic, signalling that the party has already begun internal assessments of its developmental initiatives, local performance indicators, and constituency-level challenges. The Congress leadership in Karnataka, aware that anti-incumbency tends to build over time, is attempting to set the narrative early by focusing on program implementation, infrastructure promises, welfare delivery, and political messaging.

As both Shivakumar and Jarkiholi work to downplay speculation over leadership changes, political observers remain cautious, noting that such rumours often persist in Karnataka politics and tend to resurface with each high-level meeting. Still, for now, the leadership appears publicly united, committed to presenting a stable front as the government enters the second half of its term.

The coming months will reveal whether the party successfully maintains this unity or whether internal pressures resurface as Cabinet reshuffles and electoral planning intensify. For the moment, both Shivakumar and Jarkiholi insist that their meeting was simply a forward-looking strategy discussion—focused not on the present contest for influence, but on shaping the party’s prospects for 2028.