- Congress plans leadership change in Karnataka, focusing on 2028 and 2029 elections
- Rahul Gandhi offered Siddaramaiah a Rajya Sabha seat to expand his national role
- Siddaramaiah asked for time to decide, the nomination deadline is June 8
Siddaramaiah is one of the Congress's biggest OBC faces and it is time he looked beyond Karnataka and focussed on the national picture: This was what Congress Rahul Gandhi had told the Karnataka Chief Minister as the party's Central leadership readied to bring in a regime change in the state spearheaded by DK Shivakumar, sources have told NDTV. The Congress high command has offered Siddaramaiah a Rajya Sabha seat, sources have said.
Read: Siddaramaiah To Resign, Congress Bosses Back DK Shivakumar: Sources
The 80-year-old three-term Chief Minister has expertly played down the possibility of a rotational Chief Ministership in the state as the row over the top post festered for a year. But at a one-on-one meeting with him this evening, Rahul Gandhi made it clear that a change is inevitable.
At the 35-minute meeting, Gandhi reportedly told Siddaramaiah that any decision must now be made with the 2028 assembly election and the 2029 Lok Sabha election in mind.
Gandhi is also understood to have told him that he remains the party's biggest OBC face and will have a key role in the party's national campaign.
Siddaramaiah, sources said, has asked for time to decide on the Rajya Sabha seat. He has been asked to inform party general secretary KC Venugopal within the next few days. The last date for filing nominations is June 8.
Besides his appeal to the OBC community, the move to shift Siddaramaiah to the Upper House, sources said, is partly to ensure that he does not have a say who his successor will be.
Read: Months Of Wait, 6-Hour Meet, Presser: Unpacking The Karnataka Power Game
Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar have been rivals in the state for decades. After the party's victory in the 2023 assembly election, the two ended up vying for the top post. So the relationship did not improve when Siddaramaiah pipped DK Shivakumar and was picked to be the Chief Minister.
Subsequently, there is concern that he might choose a loyalist to succeed him -- unlike Nitish Kumar in Bihar.
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 transition goes as per plan, the new government will be in place within a week, sources said.
The government, sources also hinted, will have multiple Deputy Chief Ministers - slots where the close aides of Siddarmaiah could be accommodated.
