Amid an all-out tussle for leadership in Karnataka, the Congress high command is learnt to have conveyed to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah Tuesday that it was looking at a transition in the state, and reorienting the party organisation and government while keeping in mind the future challenges. In other words, the leadership wants the Chief Minister to step down and make way for a new leader.

Keen that the transition be smooth and dignified, sources said the Chief Minister has been given time to mull over the idea. While the high command, respecting his stature, is not said to have set a timeline, a shocked Siddaramaiah is learnt to have told ministers loyal to him, at a dinner meeting in New Delhi before leaving for Bengaluru, that he will convene a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party soon and announce his decision to step down.

The signal from the party leadership was said to be clear, that it was looking at a change of guard in the state. Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has waited in the wings for a long time to take over the reins of the state. With a majority of the Congress MLAs and state leaders still backing Siddaramaiah and urging him to weigh all options, it is to be seen how the powerplay will play out in the coming days.

The Congress, for the record, said the six hours of separate discussions that the leadership had with Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress chief, were over the selection of candidates for the forthcoming MLC and Rajya Sabha elections.

While the Congress asked the media to stop speculating, it did not specify that Siddaramaiah would continue as the Chief Minister and that there would be no leadership change.

After the meeting, AICC general secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal, flanked by Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, said, “The entire discussion was only concentrated on the coming Rajya Sabha elections and Council elections in Karnataka. Whatever speculation you people are doing… that is only speculation… no reality at all. Today, we discussed the Rajya Sabha seats and Council seats of Karnataka. The candidates… will be announced along with other seats in other states. That is all we have decided today. Nothing else was discussed today.”

It was a day of marathon discussions at the new Congress headquarters in New Delhi. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Venugopal and AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala first met for over two hours after which they met Siddaramaiah.

Gandhi then met the Chief Minister alone for nearly an hour. Sources said Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi too was consulted.

The party leadership knows that Siddaramaiah commands the support of a majority of the Congress MLAs in Karnataka. Moreover, he is the only Chief Minister from the OBC community that the Congress has now. A transition, sources said, will have to be navigated carefully ensuring that the veteran is accorded due respect given his stature to avoid a rebellion and muscle flexing. Siddaramaiah had landed in New Delhi with many of his ministers.

Sources said the leadership was appreciative of Siddaramaiah’s work as Chief Minister for eight years – five in his first stint and three in his second – and urged him to facilitate the smooth transition, prompting him to ask why he was being replaced if he had done good work.

Sources said he was told that he can pick a post of his choosing – from state Congress president to becoming a Rajya Sabha MP. He was also told that he can take up the role of Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha at a later date. Siddharamaiah, however, is said to be not keen to move to Delhi.

Of the four Rajya Sabha vacancies arising in Karnataka for which elections will be held next month, the Congress is in a position to win three. Among those retiring is Kharge.