Congress MLA Belur Gopal Krishna said at least 30-35 party legislators are expected to travel to the national capital by May 28 or 29 to press the Congress leadership for a Cabinet reshuffle in Karnataka.
He said the group wants the rejig to create space for about 20 legislators and warned that the demand has acquired urgency because the government has completed three years in office.
Krishna also said the legislators have a “do-or-die situation” if the ministry is not reshuffled and fresh faces are not inducted.
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A restless chorus gathers at Delhi’s doorstep
Krishna said the plan was earlier to visit Delhi after the Kerala chief minister was chosen, but the move would now take place within two to three days.
He said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had recently spoken of a reshuffle that would induct 15 new people, while the legislators are asking for 20 slots. According to him, ministers have already had three years in office, and even after the government crossed its halfway mark, no decision has been taken on a cabinet rejig.
He said the current ministers should make way for new faces and argued that such a move was necessary to keep the Congress strong in the state.
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#WATCH | Tumakur, Karnataka: On the state cabinet expansion, Chief Whip, Karnataka Legislative Council, Saleem Ahmed, says, “… I am sure the Cabinet expansion will take place. But finally, the decision is with the High Command, Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister. CM pic.twitter.com/AaSJQkc4k7
— ANI (@ANI) May 19, 2026
A delicate balancing act for the high command
The MLA said the question of a chief minister change would have to be decided by the party high command, adding that the legislators are only asking for their “rights.”
The leadership tussle inside the ruling party has intensified after the Congress government crossed the halfway point of its five-year term on November 20, 2025.
The speculation has been fuelled by the reported power-sharing arrangement between Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar when the government was formed in 2023.
According to party sources cited in a Hindustan Times report, Siddaramaiah favors a reshuffle, while Shivakumar wants the party to first decide on any leadership change.
