BENGALURU, Feb. 7 -- Uncertainty over Karnataka's political leadership resurfaced this week as senior Congress figures offered sharply different public tones, even while one of them insisted the question of who will lead the government has effectively been settled.

Yathindra Siddaramaiah, a Member of the Legislative Council and son of chief minister Siddaramaiah, said the party's central leadership had clearly signalled that there would be no change at the top and that the chief minister would complete the full five-year term. Speaking in Mysuru, he characterised speculation about a leadership transition as largely a creation of media discourse rather than internal party debate.

"No one is discussing it in political circles other than t...