Karnataka CM Resignation News: Siddaramaiah Quits CM Post After Congress Order
Karnataka CM Resignation News: Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot has accepted the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Siddaramaiah, a senior Congress leader, resigned the previous day as part of a leadership change in the state.
Gehlot has also dissolved the council of ministers with immediate effect. Siddaramaiah will continue as chief minister until a new leader is selected.
Karnataka CM Resignation News: Siddaramaiah Quits on Congress Orders
Siddaramaiah Resignation: Siddaramaiah resigned on May 28, explaining that he was following instructions from the Congress leadership after several days of speculation about a leadership change in Karnataka.
He first handed his resignation to officials at Raj Bhavan because Governor Gehlot was not in Bengaluru then.
Siddaramaiah said that an offer had been made to him to join the Rajya Sabha, but it was politely declined as he preferred to remain active in state politics and had no interest in national politics.
"I have two more years as an MLA. I will serve my people. I will continue in active politics,” he said at the end of his second term as Karnataka chief minister, which began after the Congress won the 2023 Assembly election.
Siddaramaiah Lands in Delhi After Jaipur Detour
Siddaramaiah Steps Down: Siddaramaiah, who stepped down as Karnataka Chief Minister on Thursday, landed at Delhi’s IGI Airport on Friday. His flight was sent to Jaipur first due to heavy rain and turbulence in Delhi.
He traveled with his son, Yathindra Siddaramaiah, and Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala.
Karnataka Leadership Change: Who Will Be The Next Karnataka's Chief Minister?
DK Shivakumar Next CM: On Thursday, at a lively breakfast with key cabinet members, Siddaramaiah reportedly named DK Shivakumar as his successor, according to sources. Yet, despite the swirling speculation, no official confirmation has surfaced so far.
In his farewell speech, the outgoing chief minister said that the Congress leadership and the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) would decide who becomes Karnataka’s next chief minister. “Whoever the high command and CLP choose will be the CM of the state,” he said.
Siddaramaiah's deputy, Shivakumar, has moved up due to his organisational skills and the trust he has earned from the Congress high command.
His organisational and crisis-management skills have been rewarded by the party, a senior Congress leader said.
The leader also noted that Shivakumar has managed important assignments outside Karnataka. “His real test as a mass leader begins now,” the leader added.
DKS and Rahul Gandhi Face Siddaramaiah's Quiet Political Pushback
CM Change in Karnataka: Just before stepping down as Karnataka Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah accepted the long-pending caste census report, a move that has created a major political challenge for his successor DK Shivakumar and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
After returning to power in 2023, Siddaramaiah initially accepted the old report but later ordered a fresh survey in 2025, citing outdated data and accuracy concerns.
Covering nearly 5.9 crore people, the new survey was submitted in November 2025 and formally accepted by Siddaramaiah just before his resignation.
The timing has made the move politically significant. Reports suggest OBCs and backward classes account for nearly 69.6% of Karnataka's population, while the estimated shares of dominant communities such as Lingayats and Vokkaligas are lower than previously believed.
These findings reinforce Siddaramaiah's AHINDA strategy of uniting minorities, backward classes, and Dalits.
The report now places DK Shivakumar in a difficult position. Implementing it could trigger backlash from dominant caste groups, while delaying it risks alienating Congress's AHINDA support base.
The issue also affects Rahul Gandhi's national caste census campaign. Failure to act on the report could weaken Congress's social justice narrative and expose it to criticism from political opponents.
Siddaramaiah’s Son MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah Likely to Become Part of New Cabinet
Karnataka CM Resignation News: Sources say that Siddaramaiah's son, MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah, is likely to join the new cabinet and may get an important portfolio.
The Congress legislative party will meet soon, and after that, the date for Shivkumar's swearing-in as Karnataka's new Chief Minister is expected to be announced.
Brief About Siddaramaiah, Former CM of Karnataka
- Siddaramaiah was born on 3 August 1948 in Siddaramana Hundi, Varuna Hobli, in Mysore district.
- He grew up on a farm. Before starting his political career, he worked as a lawyer and is part of the Kuruba community, which is known for its shepherding tradition.
- He began his political career in the 1980s and was first elected to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in 1983.
- Over time, he joined several parties, such as Janata Dal and Janata Dal (Secular), before moving to Congress in 2006.
- In Congress, he brought together Dalits, backward castes, and minorities, a group called AHINDA in Karnataka politics.
- This approach aimed to balance the influence of the Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities.
- Siddaramaiah has also served as Finance Minister and Deputy Chief Minister in Karnataka.
- In 2013, he led Congress to a big win in the state elections and became Chief Minister.
- He was the first chief minister in 40 years to finish a full five-year term, from 2013 to 2018. He became Chief Minister again in May 2023 after Congress won the Karnataka assembly elections.
- Siddaramaiah has been an influential figure in Karnataka politics since the mid-1980s.
- He is known for building social alliances and focusing on welfare and inclusion as a leader.
- He ran for Lok Sabha twice but lost both times: once from Mysuru in 1980 and again from Koppal in 1991.
