Siddaramaiah to resign tomorrow as Karnataka CM
Bengaluru: Karnataka politics is heading towards a major transition as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is likely to resign from his post on Thursday following discussions with the Congress high command, sources said.
The veteran leader has reportedly sought time from Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to formally submit his resignation.
The dramatic development comes after an intense round of meetings in New Delhi between top Congress leaders and the Karnataka leadership.
According to sources, the party high command asked Siddaramaiah to communicate his final decision to Congress general secretary KC Venugopal after a crucial six-hour political huddle.
Sources said the Congress leadership has offered Siddaramaiah a Rajya Sabha berth as part of a broader political reshuffle ahead of the June 8 Rajya Sabha elections.
It is learnt that senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also suggested that the Karnataka strongman consider a transition to national politics through the Upper House.
However, Siddaramaiah is believed to have conveyed that he is not keen on moving to Delhi politics at this stage and sought more time before taking a final call on the proposal.
DK Shivakumar frontrunner for CM post
Amid the fast-moving political developments, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has emerged as the strongest contender for the Chief Minister’s post.
Sources indicated that the Congress leadership is now actively working on a fresh power-sharing formula aimed at maintaining caste and regional balance within the government.
As part of the proposed arrangement, the party is considering appointing three Deputy Chief Ministers representing key social groups, including Scheduled Castes (SC), Other Backward Classes (OBC), and women.
Party insiders said the swearing-in ceremony for the new Chief Minister could take place on Saturday, May 30, if the transition plan moves ahead as expected.
Several senior leaders in race for Deputy CM posts
For Dalit representation, senior Congress leaders G Parameshwara and Priyank Kharge are among the frontrunners. Sources also said Yathindra Siddaramaiah is being considered for representation from the OBC community.
Among Lingayat leaders, the names of MB Patil and Eshwar Khandre are under discussion. For minority representation, the Congress leadership is reportedly evaluating leaders such as KJ George, UT Khader, and BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan.
While the Congress has officially maintained that recent meetings were focused on Rajya Sabha elections, political circles in Karnataka are abuzz with speculation over what could become one of the biggest leadership changes in the state since the party returned to power.
