(Image source from: Indiatoday.in)

The recent crisis displayed signs of a renewed outbreak last week during Shivakumar's birthday when his followers displayed "Next CM" signs at Congress offices and brought cakes with the same message. Siddaramaiah has openly stated that he will follow whatever decision is made by the Congress leaders. Although his age might be a disadvantage for him leading up to the next elections, his reputation as a well-liked leader supported by Dalits and backward communities is significant. Among the four Congress chief ministers at present, Siddaramaiah is the only one from a backward caste. Revanth Reddy from Telangana, Sukhwinder Sukhu from Himachal Pradesh, and VD Satheesan from Kerala are all from upper castes. Another advantage for Siddaramaiah is the support he has from other lawmakers. Out of the 136 Congress MLAs, he has the support of more than 100 of them. One option for Congress is to let Siddaramaiah remain as Chief Minister, allowing him to finally carry out a long-awaited cabinet reshuffle and expansion.

Sources indicate that this action would strengthen Siddaramaiah's influence within the government and the party, sending a clear signal to DK Shivakumar that he might have to wait longer for a chance to take over the top position.

Another possibility, according to sources, is to enhance the cabinet roles of DK Shivakumar and provide more significant positions for his brother and close associates. The second option being considered is a potential national position for Siddaramaiah. The Congress leaders might think about relocating him to Delhi by giving him the position of Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. In this scenario, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge is viewed by some party members as a safe and suitable choice to lead the government in Karnataka. The third option, according to sources, is to convince Siddaramaiah to resign and allow his Deputy to take over as Chief Minister, in accordance with a long-held power-sharing agreement.