Overview
- Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge told minister Satish Jarkiholi the high command has reached a conclusion on Karnataka’s leadership issue, though implementation timing was not shared.
- Siddaramaiah alleged caste-driven conspiracies in a series of posts, vowed not to retreat, and later highlighted Congress’s record on elevating Vokkaliga and Dalit leaders while defending his social-justice plank.
- Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar welcomed Kharge’s assurance, asked his supporters to stop commenting on a change, and is being tipped by party MLA H. A. Iqbal Hussain for a possible Feb. 26 meeting in Delhi.
- JD(S) leader and Union Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy intensified criticism, accusing Siddaramaiah of invoking caste to hold power and urging him to vacate the post to benefit Vokkaliga representation.
- Factional signaling continued, with a foreign trip by more than 20 Congress legislators viewed as a Siddaramaiah-camp show of strength, and a report that 31 first-time MLAs pressed the high command for swift clarity and a cabinet reshuffle.