- Siddaramaiah is back in Delhi, his second trip within four days
- This time when he met the Congress high command, his son Yathindra, an MLC, was also present
- Siddaramaiah, say sources, is pushing to get his son inducted into the new cabinet
Siddaramaiah is back in Delhi, his second trip within four days.
When he arrived the first time this week, he was still the Chief Minister of Karnataka, and the longest serving Chief Minister in the history of the state. This time though, having resigned a day before, he is visiting as the outgoing Chief Minister.
The 77-year-old leader met the Congress high command, on whose instruction he says he decided to step down, clearing the path for a new leader to take charge.
That new leader, by all acounts, is DK Shivakumar. An official announcement is awaited.
Read: DK Shivakumar Comes With Mastery Of Delhi Networks And Karnataka Grassroots
Tuesday's trip was where the leadership change in Karnataka was proposed.
By Thursday, he had resigned.
Read | Siddaramaiah Steps Down: The Mass Leader Who Rose From Poverty To Power
On Friday, when he met the top party leadership again, the Congress leader came with his son Yathindra Siddaramaiah, who is a member of the Karnataka Legislative Council, or MLC.
Sources say Siddaramaiah resigned only after securing a key concession: the induction of his son Yathindra into the state cabinet.
There are also reports Yathindra could be one of four deputies to Shivakumar. Sources, however, say that the request has not gone down well with Shivakumar.
MLAs KJ George, Priyanka Kharge, who is the son of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, were also present at the meet. A small detail, but something that may have a bearing on the next cabinet, say political observers.
Hugs, smiles and handshakes were seen all around.
"Had a cordial meeting with the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Shri @RahulGandhi, at his 10 Janpath residence in New Delhi today," Siddaramaiah posted on X, along with the pictures.
The two had an hour-long meeting.
Karnataka Congress in charge Randeep Surjewala, who was present during the meeting with Rahul Gandhi, said, "It was a very pleasant meeting. They discussed multiple issues."
Asked if the transition will be smooth in Karnataka, he said, "Absolutely. There is no hurdle in the smooth tradition of power in the state."
The Congress enjoys absolute majority in the Assembly.
Siddaramaiah also met with Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge.
What happened during the meeting?
The upcoming cabinet reshuffle, Rajya Sabha elections, and internal party organisational issues related to Karnataka were among topics discussed during the meeting with Rahul Gandhi.
With DK Shivakumar likely to occupy the Chief Minister's chair, the discussion, say sources, also centred around the next state party chief.
Currently, DK Shivakumar, the Deputy Chief Minister, is the state Congress chief.
The political buzz has intensified after the nameplate outside senior Congress leader Satish Jarkiholi's office was reportedly covered with paper, and no Karnataka government insignia was found on his official vehicle. Jarkiholi served as a minister in the Siddaramaiah-led cabinet.
The development has fuelled speculation that Jarkiholi may either be appointed as one of the four Deputy Chief Ministers in the new government or be assigned the post of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president.
In Belagavi, supporters of Jarkiholi offered special prayers seeking a key position for the senior leader.
What next for Siddaramaiah?
Siddaramaiah has asserted that he would remain in active politics for at least the remaining two years of his term as Varuna constituency MLA.
"The high command asked me to go to the Rajya Sabha. I declined it humbly. I am not interested in national politics," Siddaramaiah had said on Thursday.
At the meeting with Rahul Gandhi, Siddaramaiah was not asked to reconsider his decision to join the Rajya Sabha, sources said.
Of the four Rajya Sabha seats getting vacant in Karnataka, the Congress can win three seats and the BJP one.
Mallikarjun Kharge's Rajya Sabha seat is getting vacant in June and he is likely to be re-elected from Karnataka.
The party may also field Shivakumar's brother DK Suresh as one of the Rajya Sabha candidates. There's another vacancy for Congress to fill in. The discussions covered that, say sources.
"My resignation is only from the post of Chief Minister, not from active politics. I will continue to fight for social justice, for the preservation of the Constitution, and against communalism until my last breath in this life," Siddarmaiah had posted on X yesterday.
To a question whether there was any pressure from the party's top brass, he said, "What pressure? I voluntarily resigned immediately after they (high command) asked me to do so."
