Senior Congress Siddaramaiah resigned as Karnataka chief minister, ending months of intense speculation over a leadership change in the state. Siddaramaiah submitted his resignation at the Lok Bhavan on Thursday. Special Secretary Prabhu Shankar received the resignation in the absence of Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot.
D. K. Shivakumar and other cabinet colleagues accompanied Siddaramaiah as he tendered his resignation.
In an emotional press meet after submitting his resignation, the Congress leader said he had multiple times in the past asserted he would resign if the high command requested him to do so.
He said he has abided by the decisions of the party high command. Siddaramaiah said he is hopeful that his resignation would be accepted by Governor Gehlot.
According to Lok Bhavan sources, Gehlot is in his native place, Indore, for personal reasons.
Siddaramaiah thanked the people of the state for supporting him during his two terms as the cheif minister. He also expressed gratitude to the party’s top leadership for offering him the post.
"We are in the absolute majority. Therefore, it is constitutional that the chief minister should be allowed (to form government)...I would like to express my immense gratitude to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, who have provided this opportunity," he said.
The resignation came after back-to-back meetings at the Congress headquarters in Delhi involving Rahul Gandhi, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, party general secretaries K. C. Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala.
Siddaramaiah informed his cabinet colleagues of his decision to step down during a breakfast hosted at his residence, attended also by the current deputy and possible successor, D.K. Shivakumar.
Speculations and talks over leadership change in the state had intensified after November 20 when the Congress government completed 2.5 years. The speculation has been fuelled by the reported "power-sharing" arrangement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar at the time of the government's formation in 2023. Siddaramaiah had been asserting that he has got a mandate to remain as the chief minister for a full five-year term.