The Karnataka government has fixed the 2026–27 Budget session from March 6 to March 27, a timeline that Congress leaders said had earlier been viewed by supporters of deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar as a notional deadline in discussions over a possible transfer of power in the state.
Chief minister Siddaramaiah, who also holds the Finance portfolio, will present his record 17th Budget on March 6. The Cabinet approved the schedule on Thursday. State law and parliamentary affairs minister H.K. Patil said the session would have 14 sitting days, excluding holidays.
The Budget calendar has been announced amid renewed speculation within the ruling Congress, which crossed the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20, 2025. The leadership debate has been linked to a reported power-sharing understanding between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar at the time the government was formed in 2023.
Returning from New Delhi after meeting senior party leaders, Shivakumar said, “I always live with hope and confidence. There will always be fruit for the effort, whether it is for you, for me, or for anyone else. Where there is effort, there is fruit; where there is devotion, there is God.”
Asked whether the fruit of his efforts could be expected soon, he replied, “Let’s talk about that some other time.”
Responding to reports that both he and Siddaramaiah may be called to New Delhi around February 17 to discuss a possible power transition, he said, “I don’t know. Let’s see. Time will answer everything.”
Earlier in the day, Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah participated in the International Dam Safety Conference-2026. Although they sat side by side on the same stage, they did not speak to each other.
During his visit, Shivakumar met Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge. A day earlier, he had said the leadership issue was not discussed with the party’s top brass, but added that “patience will also pay”. He also said the central leadership would take a call at an appropriate time in the interest of the state.
Siddaramaiah asserted on Wednesday that both he and Shivakumar should abide by the Congress high command’s decision on the chief ministerial change issue.
Amid separate reports that some legislators were planning a foreign tour to Australia and New Zealand, with speculation linking it to the ongoing power tussle, Shivakumar said, “I have not received any report on this, nor have I tried to obtain information about it. Now that you have brought it to my notice, I will inquire.”
When asked whether the Congress high command had sought any details on the tour, he said, “No one from the high command has spoken to me about this. Neither those going on the tour have spoken to me, nor those sending them.”
As public remarks by party leaders continued, Home Minister G. Parameshwara called for restraint.
“Our AICC President (Mallikarjun Kharge) has gone to the extent of saying that everyone should keep their mouth shut. He cannot be more stricter… Despite this, leaders and legislators are commenting on it (leadership issue), which is not appropriate. This must stop.”
“We should focus on the administration, as the exception of the people from us is different. Leaving it aside, each one of us making different statements publicly on the topic will not be appropriate,” he said.
“I hope that the high command is watching all of this. At the appropriate time, I will also speak to the high command in this regard. Because, enough is enough, this must stop. People are watching us… their expectations are different. We should focus on development,” he added.
He further said, “Is such a situation new for the high command? They have taken necessary action in the past, whenever such situations have arisen. In Karnataka too, such things have happened in the past. I feel that we have to be patient.”
The internal tensions resurfaced after Siddaramaiah’s son and MLC Yathindra recently insisted that his father would complete his five-year term. Supporters of Shivakumar have also repeatedly said their leader would become chief minister, claiming the backing of a large number of legislators.
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