Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is expected to step down from his post on Thursday after reportedly being asked by the Congress leadership to resign. According to sources, he has sought an appointment with Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to formally submit his resignation.
The development comes a day after a key meeting in Delhi between senior Congress leaders and the Karnataka Chief Minister. Sources said the Congress high command asked Siddaramaiah to convey his final decision to party general secretary KC Venugopal.
As part of the discussions, the senior Congress leader has reportedly been offered a Rajya Sabha seat. Earlier, sources claimed that Rahul Gandhi had suggested Siddaramaiah consider entering the upper house of Parliament.
However, the Karnataka chief minister is believed to have told the party leadership that he had no plans to move into national politics. He reportedly requested more time to think about the proposal before taking a final decision.
With the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for June 8, sources said the resignation is expected to take place on Thursday.
Political developments in Karnataka had intensified on Tuesday after the Congress held a lengthy six-hour meeting. Although the party maintained that the discussions focused only on the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Karnataka, speculation continued over major decisions concerning the state government.
DK Shivakumar emerges as likely CM face
Amid growing discussions within the Congress over a possible leadership change in Karnataka, senior party leader DK Shivakumar is being seen as a strong contender for the chief minister’s post, sources said.
The Congress leadership is also considering a new power-sharing arrangement aimed at balancing caste and community representation in the state government. As part of the plan, the party may appoint three Deputy Chief Ministers from different social groups, including Scheduled Castes (SC), Other Backward Classes (OBC), and women.
Sources further indicated that the swearing-in ceremony for the new chief minister could take place on Saturday, May 30.
Several senior leaders are being discussed for the Deputy Chief Minister positions. For representation from the Dalit community, the names of G Parameshwara and Priyank Kharge are under consideration. Yathindra Siddaramaiah is being considered for the OBC quota.
Among Lingayat leaders, MB Patil and Eshwar Khandre are likely choices. For minority representation, the party is reportedly looking at KJ George, UT Khader, and BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan.
