Siddaramaiah To Resign, Congress Bosses Back DK Shivakumar: Sources

The tussle over the top post in Karnataka has finally been resolved, with DK Shivakumar's claim being backed unanimously by the Congress central leadership, sources told NDTV. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been offered a Rajya Sabha seat and asked to play a larger, national role from Delhi. He has asked for time to decide on that, sources said. 

Siddaramaiah has apparently discussed the matter with his loyalists, declaring that he will "abide by the decisions of the high command". He could step down as early as Wednesday, sources said.

The Congress, which held a marathon six-hour meeting earlier today, had claimed that it was about the three Rajya Sabha seats in the state, warning the media against speculating.

"Discussions were held regarding the Rajya Sabha and MLC elections. There is no truth to any other speculation," said party General Secretary KC Venugopal in a one-minute statement after the meeting.  

Read: No Chief Minister Change In Karnataka, Congress Reveals Delhi Meet Agenda

Siddaramaiah's Breakfast Meeting

Sources said Siddaramaiah has invited his ministers for a breakfast meeting on Thursday. There is speculation that he might announce his resignation at that meeting. 

Congress's Karnataka in-charge Randeep Surjewala will reach Bengaluru on Wednesday afternoon. If the transition goes as per plan, the new government could be in place within a week, sources said.

The new government, sources also hinted, will have multiple Deputy Chief Ministers - slots where the close aides of Siddarmaiah could be accommodated.

Photo Credit: PTI

Flashback

The leadership issue in the state has been festering for over a year, with Shivakumar's supporters refusing to drop their claim that the Central leadership promised a rotating Chief Ministership when the party formed government after the 2023 assembly elections. 

Shivakumar, who was one of the party's tallest leaders in the state, had been one of the contenders for the top post and accepted the post of Siddaramaiah's Deputy only after being assured of the top post after 2.5 years, they said. 

Siddaramaiah insisted that a change at the top would break the pace of governance. In December, two breakfast meetings between him and Shivakumar within four days failed to resolve the impasse. At the end of last year, Siddaramaiah held all the cards, with support from around 110 MLAs of the party. 

The top leadership of the Congress maintained silence. All party chief Mallikarjun Kharge said was that it would be resolved by Rahul Gandhi and other top leaders of the party. 

Why Congress Changed Its Mind

The party was wary of upsetting the status quo in view of Siddaramaiah's support within the ahinda group, which encompasses minority communities, backward classes, and Dalits and had helped Congress bypass the Vokkaliga-Lingayat caste equation in 2023. 

Despite the big row about the rotation issue in November - when the Siddaramaiah government completed two years in power - the Congress had opted for status quo in view of a possible backlash from these communities during the assembly election in neighbouring Tamil Nadu.

Photo Credit: PTI

But now that the elections are over, and with Siddaramaiah's sources indicating that Shivakumar is running short of patience, the party decided to bite the bullet, sources said. 

Read: Karnataka Leader's Big Claim On DK Shivakumar Amid Delhi Meets

The local leaders in Karnataka, though, are hedging their bets, questioning not only whether Siddaramaiah should accept a central role, but also whether he would step down with grace or try to extend his tenure in the state.

Sources said a section of leaders close to Siddaramaiah are unhappy with his current decision to step down. They have urged him to weigh all his options before taking a final call. The Chief Minister, who is currently in Delhi, is expected to return to Bengaluru late tonight.