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Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah handed over his resignation to the office of Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot on Thursday, May 28. Siddaramaiah, who could complete only three years as chief minister in his second term, was asked to step down by the Congress high command, to make way for current Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.
In a closed-door meeting in New Delhi on May 26, attended by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Siddaramaiah, DK Shivakumar, and Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, the high command conveyed its decision.
Siddaramaiah held a breakfast meeting on Thursday morning, where he informed his cabinet colleagues that he would be stepping down and DK Shivakumar would be taking over as Chief Minister. Siddaramaiah handed the letter of resignation at Lok Bhavan to the Governor's secretary as Thawar Chand Gehlot is in Indore.
For months, the media has speculated about the change, often driven by comments from both sides. Things came to a head when Shivakumar posted a message on X last November that said, "Word power is world power."
Siddaramaiah shot back, saying, “A word is not power unless it betters the world for the people,” and went on to emphasise the five guarantee schemes.
The promise hinted at by Shivakumar was a power-sharing pact agreed upon when the Congress came to power in Karnataka in May 2023.
Sources close to Siddaramaiah had told TNM at the time that only three people were present when it was discussed: Rahul Gandhi, Shivakumar, and Siddaramaiah himself. During that conversation, Shivakumar had stood firm on being made chief minister, prompting them to seek Sonia Gandhi’s intervention via video call. Sources had said that Sonia had made a vague assurance that his “interests would be protected".
Although the two leaders later made a big show of having a breakfast meeting and addressing a press conference after their social media showdown, talk of a change in leadership did not die down, with every trip by leaders to Delhi adding fuel to the fire.
Each time a hint of a leadership change grew louder, Ahinda organisations across the state held protests and issued statements in the media saying that Siddaramaiah should not be removed. But with three years of his term over, and with Shivakumar insisting on the handover, the high command could not delay it any further. Sources told TNM that Siddaramaiah was unhappy with the decision as he believed that Rahul Gandhi would want to retain him.
Siddaramaiah’s political journey
Born on August 3, 1948, in Siddaramanahundi in Mysore district, Siddaramaiah rose from a disadvantaged background to become one of Karnataka’s most influential political figures. He completed his BSc and later a law degree from Mysore University, briefly practising law before entering politics. Hailing from the Kuruba community, a key OBC bloc in Karnataka, Siddaramaiah’s politics has long been rooted in social justice
He first entered the Assembly in 1983 from Chamundeshwari on a Lok Dal ticket and later rose through the Janata Party ranks, serving as the first Chairman of the Kannada Kavalu Samiti. Over successive governments, he held portfolios including Sericulture, Animal Husbandry, Finance and eventually the Deputy Chief Minister’s post under JH Patel.
His strong advocacy of AHINDA (a coalition of minorities, backward classes and Dalits) led to a dramatic split with his mentor HD Deve Gowda in 2005. After being expelled from the JD(S), he attempted to build a regional base but ultimately joined the Congress in a high-profile induction attended by Sonia Gandhi.
Siddaramaiah won the Chamundeshwari bye-poll in 2006 on a Congress ticket, became Leader of the Opposition after 2008, and led the party to a sweeping victory in 2013. His five-year term as Chief Minister (2013–18) was the first full term completed by any Karnataka CM in 40 years. He also presented the state budget a record 17 times as Finance Minister.
Siddaramaiah’s second term
After becoming CM in 2023, Siddaramaiah’s government implemented all five “guarantee” schemes outlined in the party’s manifesto. The schemes include Gruha Lakshmi (monthly cash support for women heads of households), Gruha Jyothi (free electricity up to a specified limit), Anna Bhagya (additional rice support for eligible families), Shakti (free bus travel for women), and Yuva Nidhi (unemployment assistance for graduates and diploma holders).
He also directed officials to roll back his “zero-traffic” protocol, citing concerns over public inconvenience and urban congestion caused by restricted road movement for VIP travel.
Under his leadership, the government also rolled back the earlier restriction on wearing the hijab in educational institutions, a rule introduced under the previous BJP government. It replaced the order with revised guidelines permitting “limited traditional symbols” in classrooms under specified conditions.
