Siddaramaiah announces resignation, says Congress high command will pick next Karnataka CM

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah formally confirmed to his Cabinet colleagues this morning that he will step down from his post, honouring a prior commitment made to the Congress party’s central leadership.

The announcement came during a breakfast meeting hosted by Siddaramaiah at his official residence, packed with state ministers, MLAs, and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.

Addressing the gathered leaders, the 78-year-old veteran politician made it clear that while his tenure is drawing to a close, the final decision on the next leadership transition rests entirely with New Delhi. "The High Command will decide the next Chief Minister," Siddaramaiah reportedly stated.

Siddaramaiah’s decision concludes one of the most resilient chapters in Karnataka’s governance history. By crossing the two-term threshold, he recently surpassed the record of his political mentor, D Devaraj Urs, to become the state’s longest-serving Chief Minister.

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The resignation follows marathon, six-hour high-level meetings in New Delhi earlier this week involving Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi. Central leadership reportedly emphasised the need to honour a internal 2.5-year power-sharing pact framed during the government's initial formation in May 2023.

Who takes the reins?

While Deputy CM and state party chief DK Shivakumar remains the widely perceived frontrunner to assume the top post, the transition may not be completely seamless.

Insiders indicate that the Siddaramaiah camp is strongly pushing for a formal Congress Legislature Party (CLP) vote to elect the successor. This strategy could open the door for a consensus candidate, such as Home Minister G Parameshwara or PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi, backed by key factions within the party.

AICC General Secretary in charge of Karnataka, Randeep Singh Surjewala, has already arrived in Bengaluru to oversee the delicate transition, with a full CLP meeting tentatively expected on Friday, May 29.

Siddaramaiah is expected to formally tender his resignation letter later on Thursday.