Siddaramaiah Refuses Rajya Sabha Post, To Continue As Karnataka MLA

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is not interested in trading his current job for a seat in the Rajya Sabha at this time. The Congress had offered the veteran leader a parliamentary seat as compensation for asking him to resign and allow his deputy, DK Shivakumar, to step into a job he has wanted since the 2023 election.

But Siddaramaiah told party colleagues in a meeting that will remain active in state-level politics - he is the MLA from Varuna, a family bastion since it was carved out in 2008 - and finish his five-year term before moving into national politics. Congress leader HK Patil told NDTV that Siddaramaiah said he will remain in Karnataka and complete the remaining two years of his term as an MLA, confirming that there is no upcoming move to Delhi.

This likely means he could play a key role in the party's re-election campaign in 2028, which might be beneficial given his immense popularity among the Ahinda vote bank, which comprises minority communities and marginalised groups.

Siddaramaiah is likely to raise this issue in talks with the party's senior leadership in Delhi this evening.

The Rajya Sabha seat math

There are three Karnataka Rajya Sabha seats that fall vacant this year. One has been offered to Siddaramaiah. The second will likely go to party boss Mallikarjun Kharge and the third to Shivakumar's brother, DK Suresh.

The Karnataka 'game of thrones' and a week of talks

Earlier this week the Congress held sit-downs with Siddaramaiah and DKS, as Shivakumar is called, to resolve a leadership dispute that has been festering for the past three years.

RECAP | Siddaramaiah To Resign, Congress Bosses Back DK Shivakumar: Sources

In meetings on Tuesday Rahul Gandhi told Siddaramaiah he is among the tallest OBC leaders in the Congress and that it was time for him to focus on national politics. Sources said Gandhi made it clear the party is now backing DKS as the next chief minister, a mid-term swap to counter the anti-incumbency factor before the 2028 Assembly and 2029 Lok Sabha election.

RECAP | "Look Beyond Karnataka": Inside Rahul Gandhi-Siddaramaiah Meeting

Congress leadership met Siddaramaiah and DKS - separately and together - over Monday and Tuesday. The party insisted the meetings focused on the Rajya Sabha election and local polls in Karnataka. "Whatever speculation you people are doing, that is only speculation, no reality at all," Congress MP KC Venugopal told reporters in a brief presser after the meetings.

That was hours before strong indications emerged that DKS would become chief minister, perhaps as early as this Saturday, with Siddaramaiah's aides to get key cabinet positions.

Next question - will transition be smooth?

Siddaramaiah and DKS have faced off for most of the past three years, with pressure on the former increasing after November 2025, the half-way mark of his five-year term and the date of a rumoured power-sharing deal between them.

On his return to Bengaluru Wednesday, Siddaramaiah refused to comment. "I will speak tomorrow." The chief minister and his deputy met this morning for breakfast - masala dosa, idli, sambar, chutney, and kesaribath were on the menu.

Visuals from Siddaramaiah's breakfast meet to show unity ahead of key Congress meet@ShivAroor pic.twitter.com/mD8V4DwHty

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 26, 2026

Also on the menu, Home Minister G Parameshwara, among senior government members also called to breakfast, said, was a message from Siddaramaiah to his ministerial colleagues - a vote of thanks before he announces his resignation. 

The meeting was a throwback to two 'breakfast dates' in December 2025, both also ordered by the Congress to try and show that the squabbling leaders are on the same page and to stop embarrassing counterattacks by the opposition BJP.

RECAP | Idli, Chutney And A Leadership Crisis: Karnataka's Breakfast Politics

Meanwhile, a reshuffle of the cabinet remains on the cards, again to avoid anti-incumbency before the election. Siddaramaiah was reportedly denied the greenlight to induct more of his aides into the government pending resolution of his spat with DKS.

Amid all this drama, another issue is playing out, one over which the Congress has no control and one that could frustrate its hopes for a final resolution to this leadership dispute.

Karnataka Governor Thawarchand Gehlot left for Mumbai early Thursday morning after a family member fell ill. This means that if DKS is to be sworn in as chief minister Saturday - as he and the party appear to want - either Gehlot must return for the ceremony or it will be postponed, which will likely not go down well with the DKS camp.