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Karnataka’s longest-serving Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday, May 28, promised to continue his fight against communal politics and attempts to undermine the Constitution. “Even with my last breath, I will fight communal forces,” he said.
Flanked by his ministers, with Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar seated next to him, Siddaramaiah was addressing reporters at the CM’s official residence, Krishna. This, after submitting his resignation at Lok Bhavan to the office of Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot on Thursday afternoon.
“We believe in the Constitution. If there were no Constitution, I would not have become Chief Minister, minister, or Leader of the Opposition. I would still be grazing sheep,” he said.
Siddaramaiah admitted that he had been asked by the Congress high command to move to national politics through the Rajya Sabha but said he was not interested.
“I will stay in state politics. I have been elected for five years. Two years remain. I will continue to be active in politics and fight against communal people,” he said.
Stating that he was stepping down following directions from the Congress high command, Siddaramaiah said he had always maintained that he would resign whenever the party high command asked him to do so.
Reflecting on his political career, Siddaramaiah described himself as someone deeply committed to constitutional values.
“I am a politician. The Constitution is my religion. The voters are our fans,” he said.
The outgoing Chief Minister expressed gratitude to Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Mallikarjun Kharge for giving him the opportunity to serve as Chief Minister twice and as Leader of the Opposition on two occasions.
Siddaramaiah recalled joining the Congress in 2006 and said party workers and leaders had consistently supported him. He also spoke about his humble beginnings, saying he had never imagined he would rise to the highest political office in the state.
“I come from a village. I had never dreamed that I would become a minister, Chief Minister, or Leader of the Opposition,” he said.
Siddaramaiah said he entered politics “accidentally” and noted that no one in his family had a political background.
“None of my family members were in politics — neither my parents nor anyone else,” he said.
Highlighting his government’s welfare measures, Siddaramaiah said the Congress administration had implemented a large number of promises made to voters. He added that the government had disbursed Rs 1.4 lakh crore under various welfare schemes.
Siddaramaiah said his government was satisfied with its performance despite criticism from the Opposition and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the implementation of the Congress guarantees.
“There were lots of allegations against us from the Opposition, including from the Prime Minister, that we would not be able to deliver, that Karnataka would go bankrupt and there would be no money for development,” he said.
Despite this, Siddaramaiah said, Karnataka’s economic indicators improved despite the implementation of welfare guarantees.
“After implementing the guarantees, Karnataka has the highest per capita income among large states. GST collection-wise, we are number two in India after Maharashtra,” he said.
He added that Karnataka’s growth rate had surpassed the national average. “In the current financial year, India’s GDP growth is 7.4%, while Karnataka’s GSDP is 8.1%,” he said.
Responding to criticism over government borrowing, Siddaramaiah said the state had remained within limits prescribed under the Fiscal Responsibility Act.
“As Chief Minister and Finance Minister, I was accused of borrowing excessively. The Fiscal Responsibility Act says the fiscal deficit must be within 3%. It is now 2.95%,” he said.
He further stated that the state’s debt remained within permissible levels. “Loans are 24.94% of Karnataka’s GSDP, while the limit is 25%,” he said.
He also alleged that GST compensation, Jal Jeevan Mission funds, and MGNREGA allocations by the Union government had been reduced or delayed.
“If not for all this, we would have been in surplus,” Siddaramaiah said.
The Congress leader argued that the government’s guarantee schemes had boosted purchasing power among ordinary people.
“Because of the guarantees, there is more purchasing power among the people,” he said.
Recalling his long political journey, he said he had completed nearly five decades in public life after entering politics in 1978.
“In today’s politics, only those who have the support of the people can survive. It is the people who give power,” he said.
Siddaramaiah is headed to Delhi later in the day to meet the party leaders. He is likely to be accompanied by DK Shivakumar.