Addressing senior members of his government at a breakfast meeting earlier in the day, Siddaramaiah confirmed the leadership transition, stating, “The Congress high command proposed DK Shivakumar as the next Chief Minister. I have agreed to this.” However, by evening, he publicly rejected what was described as a conciliatory offer involving a Rajya Sabha seat.
“The high command told me to go to Rajya Sabha, but I have said no to it. I have no interest in national politics. I will be in active politics,” Siddaramaiah said, adding that he would be travelling to Delhi later the same day.
Over the past year, Siddaramaiah had reportedly resisted stepping down from the top post despite sustained efforts from DK Shivakumar’s camp to unseat him. The central leadership had refrained from enforcing a change, particularly in view of electoral considerations in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, where Siddaramaiah’s ahinda vote bank, comprising minority communities, backward classes, and Dalits, was seen as politically significant.
With political ground shifting after the Congress consolidated its position in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the party leadership reportedly moved forward with a leadership transition. The push is said to have been backed by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Sonia Gandhi, amid concerns over Siddaramaiah’s age and perceived decline in governance performance, which was being linked to growing anti-incumbency sentiment.
According to sources, the decisive intervention came from Rahul Gandhi during a 35-minute meeting with Siddaramaiah on Tuesday. During the discussion, Gandhi is believed to have urged him to “look beyond Karnataka” while offering one of the state’s three upcoming Rajya Sabha seats.
The proposal was framed within a broader electoral strategy, with the leadership reportedly linking the decision to the 2028 Karnataka Assembly elections and the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. Gandhi is said to have presented the transition as part of long-term organisational planning.
The situation has drawn comparisons with the political arrangement once offered to Nitish Kumar, a five-time Chief Minister who maintained firm control over his state’s politics for nearly two decades before accepting a similar shift, allowing the Bharatiya Janata Party a renewed political opening.
Meanwhile, the elevation of DK Shivakumar to the Chief Minister’s post is expected to trigger internal negotiations within the party. Supporters of Siddaramaiah are already demanding multiple Deputy Chief Minister positions and key cabinet portfolios to accommodate their factional strength, a demand that has been firmly rejected by Shivakumar’s camp.
With competing factions asserting their positions, the matter is now expected to reach the party high command in Delhi, where Siddaramaiah’s arrival later today is likely to intensify discussions over the future balance of power within the Karnataka Congress unit.
The unfolding transition highlights deep internal recalibration within the party’s state leadership, with both political legacy and organisational control now under active negotiation.
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