BENGALURU, Jan. 3 -- Chief minister Siddaramaiah is poised to become the longest serving chief minister in Karnataka on January 7, a milestone that comes as the state Congress grapples with questions over leadership and a potential Cabinet reshuffle.

The achievement, surpassing the tenure of Devaraj Urs, is being marked by supporters who see it as a signal of political stability amid internal divisions.

Siddaramaiah's record-breaking tenure includes 1,829 days in his first term from 2013 to 2018 and the remainder in his current term, which began in May 2023. He will equal Urs' record of 2,792 days on January 6 and surpass it the next day.

Siddaramaiah's political career spans the Lok Dal, Janata Dal, and, since 2006, the Congress, wher...