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In the national capital, the two leaders are expected to meet the Congress high command to discuss the modalities of forming the new ministry in the state.
Bengaluru, May 28 (ANI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar during a press conference, in Bengaluru on Thursday. (ANI Photo)(Savitha)Hours after resigning as Karnataka chief minister, Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar (DKS), widely seen as his likely successor, left separately for New Delhi on 28 May.
The two leaders are expected to meet the Congress leadership in New Delhi today even as an official announcement on Siddaramaiah’s successor is awaited.
A special flight carrying Congress leader Siddaramaiah, his son Yathindra and party national general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala besides others made a landing in Jaipur instead of New Delhi due to bad weather on Thursday, the Chief Minister's Office said. Siddaramaiah met former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot in Jaipur.
In the national capital, the two leaders are expected to meet the Congress high command to discuss the modalities of forming the new ministry in the state.
Discussions related to the selection of the new Congress Legislature Party leader, the composition of the ministry and other organisational matters, including the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president's post currently held by Shivakumar, are likely to take place during the Delhi visit, according to a PTI report citing unnamed sources.
The new government may have two or three deputy chief ministers inlcuding a Lingayat and a Dalit face, according to media reports. A clarity on these issues is, however, expected within a day or two.
The Congress Legislature Party elects its leader, who is then chosen as the chief minister.
Siddaramaiah submitted his resignation to the Governor's Special Secretary at Lok Bhavan on Thursday afternoon. Special Secretary Prabhu Shankar received the resignation in the absence of Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot.
The Breakfast Meeting
Earlier in the day, during a breakfast meeting hosted at his residence for cabinet colleagues, Siddaramaiah informed ministers of his decision to step down and indicated that Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar would succeed him, in line with the directions of the Congress high command, according to several ministers who attended the meeting.
Pictures of the two leaders embracing after the meeting further fuelled buzz around the transition. However, when asked about the next chief minister during a press conference later, Siddaramaiah said, "Whoever the legislature party and the high command decide will be the chief minister of the state."
Asked about Shivakumar becoming chief minister, his brother and former Congress MP DK Suresh said, "Let us wait for the party's decision."
The developments leading to the resignation follow the Congress high command asking Siddaramaiah to make way for a leadership change in the state and offering him a role at the national level in the party, along with a Rajya Sabha seat. However, Siddaramaiah has not accepted the offer so far.
Siddaramaiah reportedly decided to step down after the message was conveyed directly by senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Why Siddaramaiah resigned?
Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar were summoned to Delhi on Tuesday, where back-to-back meetings were held at the Congress headquarters involving Rahul Gandhi, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, and party general secretaries K C Venugopal and Randeep Surjewala.
Congress party's top leadership reportedly asked Siddaramaiah to resign in the meetings held on Tuesday in the national capital.
At the core of the leadership tangle in Karnataka is Shivakumar's demand that he be elevated to the chief minister's post in accordance with a promise his supporters claim was made to him during the 2023 Karnataka assembly elections.
Whoever the legislature party and the high command decide will be the chief minister of the state.
The leadership tussle within the ruling party had intensified amid speculation about a possible change of chief minister after the Congress government completed the halfway mark of its five-year term on 20 November 2025.
(With agency inputs)
About the Author
Gulam Jeelani
Gulam Jeelani is Political Desk Editor at LiveMint with over 16 years of experience covering national and international politics. Based in New Delhi, Jeelani delivers impactful political narratives through breaking stories, in-depth interviews, and analytical pieces at LiveMint since February 2024. The expertise in video production fuels his current responsibilities, which include curating content and conducting video interviews for an expanding digital audience.<br><br> Jeelani also travels during elections and key political events and has covered assembly elections in key states apart from national elections. He has previously worked with The Pioneer, Network18, India Today, News9Plus and Hindustan Times.<br><br> Jeelani’s tenure at LiveMint and previous experience at print and digital newsrooms have honed his skills in creating compelling text and video stories, explainers, and analysis that resonate with a diverse viewership.<br><br> Before moving to New Delhi in 2015, Jeelani was based in Uttar Pradesh, where he worked for five years as a reporter. In 2018, Jeelani was one of the two Indian journalists selected for the Alfred Friendly Fellowship in the US. There, he attended training workshops on reporting and data journalism, and he was attached to the Minneapolis Star Tribune in Minnesota, where he worked as a reporter.<br><br> Jeelani is a Bachelor's in Chemistry and holds a Masters Degree in journalism and mass communication from Aligarh Muslim University. Outside work, he enjoys poetry, cricket and movies.
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