[v26.1.x] ct: Fix ctp_stm test

src/v/cloud_topics/level_zero/stm/tests/ctp_stm_test.cc

@@ -818,18 +818,38 @@ TEST_F_CORO(
     // This is where the bug manifests: Node 0 has stale in-memory window [11,
     // 12]
     node0.raft()->unblock_new_leadership();
+
+    // Wait for all nodes to catch up before transferring leadership.
+    // The replication above may have achieved majority without the target
+    // node, and the transfer will fail if the target hasn't caught up.
+    co_await wait_for_committed_offset(node1.raft()->committed_offset(), 10s);
+
     vlog(
       ct::cd_log.info,
       "Transferring leadership back to Node {}",
       initial_leader_id);
-    co_await node1.raft()->transfer_leadership(
-      raft::transfer_leadership_request{
-        .group = node1.raft()->group(),
-        .target = initial_leader_id,
-        .timeout = 10s});
 
-    co_await wait_for_leader(10s);
-    auto final_leader_id = *get_leader();
+    // Retry the transfer since it can transiently fail if the target
+    // node's follower state hasn't been fully updated yet.
+    auto final_leader_id = model::node_id{};
+    for (int attempt = 0; attempt < 5; ++attempt) {
+        co_await node1.raft()->transfer_leadership(
+          raft::transfer_leadership_request{
+            .group = node1.raft()->group(),
+            .target = initial_leader_id,
+            .timeout = 10s});
+
+        co_await wait_for_leader(10s);
+        final_leader_id = *get_leader();
+        if (final_leader_id == initial_leader_id) {
+            break;
+        }
+        vlog(
+          ct::cd_log.info,
+          "Transfer attempt {} landed on node {}, retrying",
+          attempt,
+          final_leader_id);
+    }
     vlog(ct::cd_log.info, "Final leader: {}", final_leader_id);
     ASSERT_EQ_CORO(final_leader_id, initial_leader_id)
       << "Leadership should have transferred back to original leader";
@@ -931,14 +951,32 @@ TEST_F_CORO(
 
     // Step 6: Transfer leadership back to Node0.
     node0.raft()->unblock_new_leadership();
-    co_await node1.raft()->transfer_leadership(
-      raft::transfer_leadership_request{
-        .group = node1.raft()->group(),
-        .target = initial_leader_id,
-        .timeout = 10s});
 
-    co_await wait_for_leader(10s);
-    ASSERT_EQ_CORO(*get_leader(), initial_leader_id);
+    // Wait for all nodes to catch up before transferring leadership.
+    co_await wait_for_committed_offset(node1.raft()->committed_offset(), 10s);
+
+    // Retry the transfer since it can transiently fail if the target
+    // node's follower state hasn't been fully updated yet.
+    auto final_leader_id = model::node_id{};
+    for (int attempt = 0; attempt < 5; ++attempt) {
+        co_await node1.raft()->transfer_leadership(
+          raft::transfer_leadership_request{
+            .group = node1.raft()->group(),
+            .target = initial_leader_id,
+            .timeout = 10s});
+
+        co_await wait_for_leader(10s);
+        final_leader_id = *get_leader();
+        if (final_leader_id == initial_leader_id) {
+            break;
+        }
+        vlog(
+          ct::cd_log.info,
+          "Transfer attempt {} landed on node {}, retrying",
+          attempt,
+          final_leader_id);
+    }
+    ASSERT_EQ_CORO(final_leader_id, initial_leader_id);
 
     // Step 7: Try to fence epoch 5 on the returned leader.
     // Applied window is now [7, 8] so this must be rejected.