Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is likely to step down from the post on Thursday to make way for his deputy, D. K. Shivakumar. However, the veteran Congress leader is reportedly not keen on accepting the party high command’s offer of a Rajya Sabha seat.
According to an NDTV report, Siddaramaiah wants to remain active in Karnataka politics and complete his five-year term as an MLA before considering a role in national politics. He has represented the Varuna Assembly constituency since 2008.
The report added that Siddaramaiah’s decision to continue as an MLA would allow him to play a crucial role in the Congress campaign for the 2028 Karnataka Assembly elections.
Several ministers and MLAs met Siddaramaiah at his residence on Wednesday and urged him not to resign. They also reportedly said they would take up the matter with the Congress high command.
The 77-year-old leader, who enjoys strong support among AHINDA communities — an acronym in Kannada referring to minorities, backward classes and Dalits — is believed to have agreed to step down because the message came directly from senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Siddaramaiah has repeatedly maintained that he would resign if Gandhi asked him to do so.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka State Federation of Backward Class Communities warned the Congress leadership against replacing Siddaramaiah, saying the party could face political consequences if he is removed from the top post.
Federation leaders argued that the Congress came to power in Karnataka largely due to the support of backward classes and AHINDA communities. They also asserted that there is no other leader within the party with Siddaramaiah’s stature and warned of protests if he is forced to step down.
The Congress central leadership is believed to have attempted to placate Siddaramaiah by offering him one of the three Rajya Sabha seats from Karnataka that fall vacant this year. The remaining two seats are expected to go to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Shivakumar’s brother, D. K. Suresh.
However, Siddaramaiah is said to be uninterested in moving to the Upper House. Instead, his camp is likely to push for key demands, including the appointment of multiple deputy chief ministers and a greater say in the selection of the next Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president.
The proposal for more than one deputy chief minister has reportedly complicated the leadership transition, amid concerns that it could create multiple power centres within the Karnataka Congress unit.
