Siddaramaiah announces resignation as CM
New Delhi: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announces resignation from CM post after holding breakfast meeting with state cabinet.
Siddaramaiah told his cabinet colleagues that he will step down as the CM at 3 pm today.
The announcement came during a breakfast meeting hosted by Siddaramaiah at his official residence, attended by several state ministers, MLAs, and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.
Addressing the gathering, the 78-year-old veteran leader signalled that his tenure as Chief Minister was nearing its end, while stressing that the final call on the leadership transition would be taken by the Congress high command in New Delhi. “The High Command will decide the next Chief Minister,” Siddaramaiah reportedly told party leaders.
With this move, Siddaramaiah brings to a close one of the most enduring political tenures in Karnataka’s history. Having recently crossed the two-term mark, he surpassed the record of his political mentor D Devaraj Urs to become the longest-serving Chief Minister of the state.
The resignation follows marathon six-hour high-level meetings held in New Delhi earlier this week between Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi. Sources said the party’s central leadership stressed the importance of honouring the internal 2.5-year power-sharing arrangement that was reportedly agreed upon during the formation of the Karnataka government in May 2023.
While Deputy Chief Minister and Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar is widely seen as the frontrunner for the top post, the Congress leadership transition may not be entirely smooth.
Sources indicate that the Siddaramaiah camp is pushing for a formal Congress Legislature Party (CLP) vote to elect the next Chief Minister. Such a move could pave the way for a consensus candidate - including Home Minister G Parameshwara or PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi - with backing from influential factions within the party.
Meanwhile, AICC General Secretary in charge of Karnataka, Randeep Singh Surjewala, has already reached Bengaluru to supervise the transition process. A full CLP meeting is tentatively expected to be held on Friday, May 29.
Siddaramaiah is likely to formally submit his resignation to the Governor later on Thursday.
