When asked about talks of a leadership change in Karnataka, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the decision lies with the party’s “high command.” Kharge, who heads the All India Congress Committee, added, “No one knows what the high command is thinking,” suggesting even he’s unsure who the real decision-makers are.

He said, “Only the high command has the authority to take action, and no one should stir up unnecessary trouble.” His comments came amid growing speculation that D.K. Shivakumar might replace Siddaramaiah as Karnataka’s Chief Minister.

The Congress High Command is like a ghost. It is unseen, unheard, but always felt. Even the Congress President, who people thought is the high command, whispers its name and says it’s not him.

So eerie! https://t.co/GpcdHWQbSs

— Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) June 30, 2025

BJP MP Tejasvi Surya mocked this by questioning who the “invisible” high command actually is. In a post on X, Surya wrote, “The Congress High Command is like a ghost — unseen, unheard, but always felt. Even the Congress President whispers about it and says it’s not him. Spooky!”

The term “high command” has often been used by Congress leaders to avoid giving direct answers. Earlier, even CM Siddaramaiah had said that only the high command can decide on any leadership change.

Adding to the internal conflict, Shivakumar's supporter and Congress MLA Basavaraj Shivaganga had openly demanded Siddaramaiah’s removal by December. This showed the ongoing factional rift within the party in Karnataka, despite top leaders asking everyone to stay united.

Now, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala is in Bengaluru, meeting around 100 MLAs in a private effort to manage the crisis.