DK Shivakumar meets Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, stakes claim to form government.

"Congress is going to come back again in Karnataka in 2028 with the help of all leaders," senior party leader KC Venugopal said today. He also confirmed that DK Shivakumar will take the oath as Karnataka Chief Minister on June 3.

DK Shivakumar will meet the Karnataka Governor to formally stake his claim to form the government as Chief Minister, senior Congress leader KC Venugopal said.

Following a key meeting on Saturday at the Conference Hall of Vidhana Soudha, DK Shivakumar has been officially elected as the new Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader.

Outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah proposed Shivakumar's name for the post, which was seconded by G Parameshwara and unanimously endorsed by the meeting. Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal formally announced the decision to the media.

Following a crucial closed-door meeting, DK Shivakumar was formally elected as the Karnataka Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader. Meanwhile, another meeting is underway between former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal, and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Surjewala.

With the leadership issue resolved, the Congress has convened a meeting of the senior party leaders in Karnataka today.

The new Chief Minister of Karnataka will take the oath on June 3 at the Glass House of Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru, Congress state unit working president GC Chandrashekhar has confirmed.

Addressing a press conference, the Rajya Sabha member said initially, there was confusion regarding the venue. Later, it was decided to hold it in the Governor's House

"A decision has now been taken that the swearing-in ceremony will be held on June 3," Chandrashekhar said.

The MP said the exact time of oath taking ceremony will be finalised and announced later in the day.

"The swearing-in ceremony should not be extravagant. It should be conducted as simply as possible and should reflect a spirit of work and service rather than display or pomp. The party has taken a decision and issued directions that the event should be conducted in a simple manner," Chandrashekhar said.

A two to three deputy chief minister formula is understood to be gaining traction within Congress circles, according to sources familiar with the deliberations.

NDTV has learnt that the party leadership is examining a power-sharing arrangement that could see representation from key social groups in the new administration. Under the emerging formula, a Dalit leader and a minority community leader are being considered for the deputy chief minister positions, although a final decision is yet to be taken.

Sources told NDTV that Shivakumar, who is a very religious person, has decided on the June 3 date for swearing in after consulting his astrologer Bellur Dwarakanath. June 3 has been decided as the "shubh muhurat" (auspicious time) for the swearing-in by the astrologer, sources have told NDTV.  

Another factor behind the June 3 date for swearing in, according to sources, is the availability of senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is expected to attend the oath ceremony.

DK Shivakumar has met the governor at the Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru.

A Congress delegation will meet Governor Thawarchand Gehlot around 11 am to suggest DK Shivakumar's name as chief minister.

DK Shivakumar is expected to take the oath as the new Karnataka Chief Minister on June 3, sources have told NDTV.

With the leadership issue resolved, the Congress now faces a dilemma over the Shivakumar-led cabinet. The Congress has convened a meeting of the senior party leaders today. It will be chaired by Siddaramaiah and will be attended by Shivakumar, Congress general secretary and Karnataka in-charge, Randeep Surjewala, and other senior leaders.

Karnataka Congress is set to hold a crucial Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting in Bengaluru on Saturday amid ongoing organisational deliberations, leadership speculation, and continued political sparring over the internal dynamics of the ruling party following the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on May 28.

The CLP meeting comes after Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot accepted Siddaramaiah's resignation and dissolved the Council of Ministers with immediate effect. However, Siddaramaiah has been asked to continue as Chief Minister until alternative arrangements are made.

The Karnataka Congress legislature party meeting has been called for May 30 and a new leader is set to be elected, party sources said on Friday.

According to a letter sent by the legislature party secretary Allamprabhu Patil to all legislators, the meeting will be held here on Saturday at 4 PM at the conference hall in Vidhana Soudha, the seat of the state legislature and secretariat.

The development follows Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Friday accepting Siddaramaiah's resignation as chief minister and dissolving the Council of Ministers headed by him.

(PTI)

The Congress has replaced Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah with his deputy, DK Shivakumar, a switch which has been in the making since November last year.

Siddaramaiah, who was in his second term as the chief minister, and Shivakumar, Congress' Karnataka president, reportedly had a power-sharing deal after the 2023 assembly election that both would serve 2.5 years at the top post.

With the leadership issue resolved, the Congress now faces a dilemma over the Shivakumar-led 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.

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.

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.

MLAs and MLCs from Kolar have sought representation in the Cabinet, stressing for ministerial berths for leaders from the region.

The seven leaders who have written to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge include three MLAs, SN Narayanaswamy, KY Nanje Gowda, and Kothur G Manjunath, two MLCs, Naseer Ahmed and Anil Kumar, along with V Adinarayana, who is the defeated Assembly Candidate from Mulbagal in the 2023 Assembly elections and K Chandra Reddy, the Ex-District Congress Committee (DCC) President for the Kolar district.

They have demanded a ministerial berth for Bangarpet's MLA SN Narayanaswamy under the Scheduled Caste (Right) category. They have also demanded ministerial positions for Malur's MLA Nanjegowda and Kolar's MLA Manjunath under the General quota.

Congress leader HK Patil said that a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting will be held at 4 pm on Saturday.

God does not give boons or curses. He only gives opportunities. What truly matters is what we make of those opportunities.
Shri Siddaramaiah avaru’s life is one of the finest reflections of this thought. From a humble village in Mysuru to leading Karnataka as Chief Minister, his… https://t.co/cWZy9eQ48o

— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) May 29, 2026

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge praised Siddaramaiah for his "commitment to equality, harmony, and the welfare of the marginalised".

Congress sources told NDTV that outgoing Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah met with Sonia Gandhi at her residence at 10, Janpath.

During the meeting, Siddaramaiah was not asked to reconsider his decision regarding not joining the Rajya Sabha.

The meetings come as Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar is set to take over the chief ministerial post.

At a meeting held in Bengaluru, Congress workers submitted an appeal to Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, urging the party leadership to consider senior leader Ramalinga Reddy for the post of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and senior minister Eshwar Khandre as the next Karnataka Congress chief.

According to a letter submitted to Surjewala,

After meeting Rahul Gandhi, Siddaramaiah met Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi.

Minister K J George, Minister Priyank Kharge, and Legislative Council Member Yathindra Siddaramaiah were also present during the meeting.

The Karnataka leadership swap - DK Shivakumar for Siddaramaiah, a switch in the making since November last year - was pushed past the finishing line by Rahul Gandhi, sources told NDTV Friday. Rahul Gandhi, sources said, spoke to both men on Monday and Tuesday, with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, party boss Mallikarjun Kharge, and General Secretary KC Venugopal.

The result was a 35-minute one-on-one in which Rahul Gandhi persuaded Siddaramaiah to resign, arguing the veteran politician - one of the Congress' most high-profile OBC faces - had to look beyond the state and at the national picture,

The 'big picture' message was the 2029 Lok Sabha election. But Siddaramaiah argued the Congress' best chance at re-election was with him in charge. DKS, he said, could take charge of a fresh government in 2028. But Gandhi was adamant, sources said, displaying the same awareness that helped the Congress resolve the impasse in the Kerala chief minister race.

Siddaramaiah and his son will be meeting Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge shortly.

Rahul Gandhi and Siddaramaiah met in Delhi today, shortly after the Karnataka governor accepted Siddaramaiah's resignation as the Chief Minister.

Their meeting lasted for nearly an hour.

Sonia Gandhi was not present at the meeting, sources said.

Congress leader Randeep Surjewala who also attended the meeting said that the two leaders discussed several issues during the meeting.

Karnataka govenor has accepted Siddarmaiah's resignation from the post of Chief Minister. The Council of Ministers headed by Siddaramaiah has been consequently dissolved.

The Congress high command has decided to change the chief minister in Karnataka after three years in power. Following Siddaramaiah's resignation, DK Shivakumar is set to become the next chief minister.

The Congress has taken this major decision with an eye on the upcoming assembly elections, scheduled to take place two years from now. In this context, the question arises: how advantageous will it be for the Congress to switch chief ministers in the middle of its tenure?

The ultimate test of this move lies in the next assembly elections. For the last four decades, no government in Karnataka has managed to secure a re-election. Even after governing from 2013 to 2018, Siddaramaiah was unable to lead the Congress to a majority victory in the subsequent polls. Will DK Shivakumar be able to rewrite four decades of political history within just two years?

An experienced leader within the Karnataka Congress suggests that it would be premature to make any predictions regarding this change at this stage. Shivakumar is perceived as a hardworking "fighter" - a leader who has risen through the ranks, starting his journey in the NSUI, the Congress party's student wing. He shares a close rapport with the Gandhi family. Consequently, he will be able to function without undue pressure and have the capability to mitigate the effects of anti-incumbency.

Hours after resigning as Karnataka chief minister, Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar, widely seen as his likely successor, left separately for New Delhi on Thursday. In the national capital, the two leaders are expected to meet the Congress high command to discuss the modalities of forming the new ministry.

Reacting harshly to the development, Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson NV Subhash alleged that the Congress party had failed in governance and accused it of internal power struggles.

"This is nothing but the failure of the Congress Party... the Congress Party has cheated the people of Karnataka because they have given a lot of promises, false hopes for development, but for many years," he said.

Karnataka Congress leaders KC George, Randeep Singh Surjewala, S. Ponna, and Siddaramaiah's son Yathindra were seen accompanying Siddaramaiah, who resigned as the chief minister.

A total of nine people are on board. 

According to sources, the flight will depart again shortly after refueling.

Stating that there was no pressure behind his decision and "resigned voluntarily", Siddaramaiah said, "I have resigned voluntarily. There is no pressure on me. The Congress Legislature Party and the high command will decide on the next Chief Minister. The Governor will take action through constitutional procedures. Soon, the people of the state will see a new Chief Minister."

Siddaramaiah, the outgoing chief minister of Karnataka, said he didn't chase money during his political life.

"I neither chased money nor craved to build properties; my political life is an open book," he said.

Siddaramaiah said he fulfilled all promises made to the people as the chief minister of Karnataka.

"We have made a sincere effort to fulfil the promises made to the people of the state. We have not broken our word. This is something that has given me and our party satisfaction. They (opposition) have spread misinformation about me. They have spread misinformation against me, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They said that there will be no money for development work, and the treasury will be empty. After the guarantee was implemented, we are number 1 in the entire country in terms of income. We are second in GST collection. Maharashtra is number 1, Karnataka is number 2," he added.

Siddaramaiah said the Congress high command offered him a Rajya Sabha seat, but he declined. He said he has no interest in national politics.

"The high command asked me to go to the Rajya Sabha, but I said no to it. I have no interest in national politics. I will be in active politics," he said.

Siddaramaiah, after resigning as the chief minister of Karnataka, addressed a press conference and said he was asked by the Congress high command to step down.

"I was saying from before only that when the high command conveys, I will then tender my resignation. The high command asked me to submit my resignation. I have faith that once the governor is back, he will accept it," he added.

"I would like to express my immense gratitude to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, who have provided this opportunity.," says Siddaramaiah.