Siddaramaiah, who believes that political leaders should regularly address the press and is no stranger to long press conferences, attended his last presser as the longest-serving chief minister of Karnataka on Thursday. Flanked by D.K. Shivakumar on his right and G. Parameshwara on his left, with other party leaders and ministers standing in the background, Siddaramaiah addressed reporters at the conference hall of his home office, Krishna, on Kumara Krupa Road in Bengaluru.
He came straight from Lok Bhavan after submitting his resignation. Earlier in the morning, Siddaramaiah met Shivakumar and members of the council of ministers over breakfast. The handout pictures sent to the media had already cleared the speculation about the developments unfolding since both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar met the party high command in Delhi on May 26.
Siddaramaiah appeared visibly composed in the jam-packed hall filled with reporters, officials and camera crews. He began the briefing with a pre-written speech, announcing that he had submitted his resignation as chief minister of Karnataka to the governor’s office. Since Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot was out of town, he said he hoped the resignation would be accepted soon, paving the way for a new chief minister who enjoyed the support of 135 plus one legislators, along with two independents.
He later thanked Sonia Gandhi and the Congress high command before turning reflective. Siddaramaiah described himself as a mere villager who rose to become chief minister because of democracy and constitutional values. He continued by highlighting the achievements of his government, saying his welfare schemes had benefited every section of society without discrimination based on caste or religion.
In typical Siddaramaiah style, the press conference soon shifted into a discussion on the state’s economy and fiscal management during his tenure. He accused the BJP of deliberately misrepresenting his social welfare schemes by creating fake narratives around guarantees and the state’s finances.
He repeatedly stressed his belief in the Constitution, saying it was because of constitutional democracy that an ordinary villager like him could become chief minister. He said he would fight communal forces until his last breath.
When reporters asked about his next political move, Siddaramaiah said he had been elected for five years and would continue as a legislator for the remaining term. He also revealed that the party high command had offered him a Rajya Sabha position, but added that he was not interested in it at the moment.
On the question of the next chief minister, Siddaramaiah briefly looked at Shivakumar seated beside him and said he would support whoever the party and legislators selected as their legislative party leader.
While the mystery around his resignation was formally cleared through the briefing, there was still no official confirmation that Shivakumar would be the next chief minister. Throughout the press conference, Shivakumar appeared visibly tired and restrained, perhaps reflecting the weight of his long political wait and struggle to achieve a dream that now stood only hours away from becoming reality.
