Congress expected to fix leadership problem in Karnataka once RS elections are over.

According to sources, the leadership issue in Karnataka for the Congress party is expected to be resolved after the Rajya Sabha elections. After a long meeting on Tuesday, the party did not comment on the matter, but sources say they discussed only the upcoming elections and not the contentious issue of leadership. The meeting was attended by top leaders such as Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and AICC general secretaries K C Venugopal and Randeep Surjewala.

They held discussions with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar for several hours, and it is likely that a decision will be made after the Rajya Sabha polls next month. In a press conference after the meeting, Venugopal dismissed any talk of a leadership change in Karnataka as "mere speculation". The main topic of discussion was the upcoming Rajya Sabha and state council elections, and the party will announce its candidates for those seats along with those for Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

There have been reports of a leadership tussle between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, with the latter's camp pushing for him to be elevated to the chief minister's post. This has led to speculation that Siddaramaiah may be replaced by Shivakumar in the coming days. However, both leaders denied any discussion on a leadership change during the meeting.

The Congress is expected to win three out of the four Rajya Sabha seats in Karnataka, while the BJP will secure one. Kharge, whose term ends in June, is likely to be re-elected from the state. The party is also considering fielding Shivakumar's brother D K Suresh and a woman or OBC candidate for the remaining seats.

In addition, the party leaders also discussed potential candidates for the legislative council seats, with the Congress likely to secure four out of the seven vacancies. The decision on the leadership issue in Karnataka will be made after the Rajya Sabha elections, and the party remains focused on the upcoming polls and strengthening its presence in the state.