Karnataka Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot accepted Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's resignation on Friday, May 29, and dissolved the Council of Ministers, setting in motion a leadership transition in the state. The Governor’s notification, issued on May 29, states that Siddaramaiah will continue as caretaker Chief Minister until a new government is put in place.
The resignation followed a high-level closed-door meeting in New Delhi on May 26, attended by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Congress general secretary KC Venugopal. In the meeting, the Congress high command conveyed its decision to replace Siddaramaiah.
On Thursday morning, Siddaramaiah held a breakfast meeting with his cabinet colleagues, informing them that he would be stepping down in accordance with the party’s directive. He later submitted his resignation at Lok Bhavan to the Governor’s secretary, as Governor Gehlot was in Indore at the time.
Speaking to reporters at his official residence, Krishna, Siddaramaiah vowed to continue his ideological fight even after stepping down. “Even with my last breath, I will fight communal forces,” he said, flanked by his ministers with DK Shivakumar seated beside him.
Reaffirming his belief in constitutional values, he added, “If there were no Constitution, I would not have become Chief Minister, minister, or Leader of the Opposition. I would still be grazing sheep.”
Siddaramaiah also confirmed that the Congress high command had suggested a shift to national politics through a Rajya Sabha berth, but he made it clear he was not interested in taking that route.