Will Siddaramaiah Step Down? Will DK Shivakumar Take Over as Karnataka CM?
Political developments in Karnataka have intensified, and there is intense speculation that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah may resign on Thursday. According to media reports, he has sought an appointment with Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot, where he is expected to tender his resignation.
If a change in leadership occurs, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar is likely to become the next Chief Minister.
Congress MLA R.V. Deshpande further fueled these speculations by claiming that Siddaramaiah had already made up his mind to step down. Deshpande stated that the Chief Minister had informed him that he had given his word to the party high command and would resign accordingly. He also added that the final decision regarding the next CM would be taken solely by the Congress leadership.
Amidst these rapidly unfolding political developments, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala arrived in Bengaluru on Wednesday. Siddaramaiah is also expected to hold a breakfast meeting with his cabinet colleagues on Thursday morning.
According to sources, D.K. Shivakumar could be elected as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party tomorrow. Subsequently, the Congress party may formally stake its claim to form the government under his leadership. Following this, Siddaramaiah is expected to submit his resignation to Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot.
There is also speculation that the Congress party—adopting a formula similar to the BJP's political arrangement in Bihar—might offer a cabinet berth to Siddaramaiah's son.
However, Randeep Surjewala denied that any final decision had been reached thus far. Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, he stated that no meeting of the Congress Legislature Party had been convened yet.
Six-Hour Meeting in Delhi
Siddaramaiah and D.K. Shivakumar had traveled to Delhi on May 26, where they held a marathon meeting—lasting six hours—with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and party General Secretary K.C. Venugopal. Following the meeting, Venugopal dismissed reports of a change in leadership as mere speculation, stating that the discussions focused primarily on the upcoming Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections.
Meanwhile, party sources claimed that Siddaramaiah was initially unwilling to resign. According to reports, he told the party leadership that his removal could lead to a split within the party, and that approximately 50 to 60 MLAs might rally behind him. He also made it clear that he would not work under D.K. Shivakumar.