Despite an intense power tussle within the Congress in Karnataka over the last three years, the party high command appears to have managed a smooth transition of power to ensure political stability, with Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar set to succeed outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

One of the biggest challenges before the new Chief Minister would be balancing his relationship with Mr. Siddaramaiah’s loyalists and support base within the Congress. Mr. Siddaramaiah has already indicated that he will remain active in politics and continue to stay in Karnataka, raising the possibility of an alternative power centre emerging around him if his supporters feel sidelined under the new leadership.

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Siddaramanahundi, the native village of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah near Mysuru, which erupted in celebration when its illustrious son first assumed office in 2013 and again in 2023, is now gripped by disappointment with him stepping down as the Chief Minister after nearly three years in office.

Residents of Varuna, the Assembly constituency represented by Mr. Siddaramaiah, voiced strong support for the Chief Minister and said he should have been allowed to complete a full five-year term.

“When the party had earlier given him an opportunity to complete a full tenure, why can’t it do so now?” a resident asked, expressing anguish over the leadership transition.

Many felt that retaining Mr. Siddaramaiah in the top post would have strengthened the party in the long run and helped it in the run-up to the 2028 Assembly elections.

The Jagatika Lingayat Mahasabha has urged the Congress high command to appoint senior Minister M.B. Patil as the next Chief Minister of Karnataka stating that the Lingayat community has made significant contributions to the State as well as to the Congress.

Addressing a press conference in Kalaburagi, Mahasabha district president R.G. Shetgar and general secretary Ashok Ghooli said that the Lingayat community, being one of the largest communities in Karnataka, has played an important role in the social, educational and political development of the State.

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The State Cabinet will have to be constituted afresh in the wake of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s resignation, said former Minister Tanveer Sait.

Fielding queries on the much-talked-about Cabinet reshuffle, Mr. Sait said a fresh Cabinet will have to be constituted now. If the head of the State government, the Chief Minister, is replaced, a new Cabinet will have to be constituted under the new Chief Minister, he said.

In view of the anticipation of a large number of people for Cabinet berths, Mr. Sait hoped the new Cabinet would accommodate at least three persons from minority groups.

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Some AHINDA leaders have opposed the Congress high command’s decision to ask Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to resign saying that it can upset the voters of the various deprived communities.

Lakhan Jarkiholi, independent member of the Legislative Council, said that the Congress government might fall if Mr. Siddaramaiah is replaced by another leader.

“A lot of legislators may not support the Congress high command’s move and the government may fall,” he told reporters in Gokak on Thursday (May 28, 2026).

The special aircraft carrying Outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to Delhi was diverted to Jaipur on Thursday evening (May 28, 2026), the Chief Minister’s Office said.

“AICC General Secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala, ministers K.J. George and Byrathi Suresh, CM’s legal advisor A.S. Ponnanna, MLC Dr. Yathindra, and AICC Secretary Abhishek Dutt were also on board the flight,” the statement said.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, at his final press meet, recollects the famous lines of Kannada actor Dr. Rajkumar who used to refer to his fans as ‘abhimani devaru’ (fan gods) to express his respect and gratitude to them.

“I am a politician. Constitution is my religion, and voters are my abhimani devaru (fan gods),” the CM said.

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Though Deputy Chief Minister and chief ministerial aspirant D.K. Shivakumar was sitting next to him at the press conference, Mr. Siddaramaiah desisted from naming him as the next chief minister. 

When asked who is the next chief minister, he only said with a smile: “Whoever is chosen by the high command and the Congress legislature party, he will become the next chief minister.”

Soon after tendering resignation, Mr. Siddaramaiah declared that he would continue in active politics and in the state. 

“The Congress high command asked me to go to Rajya Sabha. But with humility, I have told them that I am not interested in national politics and that I want to continue in State politics,” said Mr. Siddaramaiah, who is left with another two-year term as MLA.

Siddaramaiah declared that he would fight against communal forces in politics till his last breath. “The Constitution is against all such communal forces. I believe in Constitution. I could not have occupied any of the positions I held if there was no Constitution,” he said.

“Till my last breath, I will fight against communal forces, those who try to undermine Constitution and those who prevent equal opportunities for everyone in society,” he said.

Siddaramaiah described his political life as an open book. “I never went behind power and money. I never aspired to acquire property. I never compromised with the ideology and values being followed by me,” he remarked.

“I have never compromised with the issues related to water, land, and language of Karnataka. These are the rights of people of the State,” he said.

“We should maintain revenue surplus. But we are in deficit due to the mismanagement of finances by the erstwhile BJP regime,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said.

Pointing out that the revenue deficit is 19,500 crore, he squarely blamed the Union Government for such a situation since it had desisted from providing grants to the tune of Rs. 11,495 crore which was due to Karnataka. Similarly, Rs. 5,300 crore funds earmarked for Upper Bhadra project had not been given by the Centre, he said.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah accused the Opposition and Prime Miniter Narendra Modi of indulging in misinformation campaign against his government about guarantee schemes. Though they said that the guarantee schemes would derail the State economy, Karnataka stands No.1 in per capita income and second in the country in GST collections.

The rate of growth of GDP is 7.1% for the country, but 8.1% in the State this year. Opposition has alleged I have taken a lot of loans and the state is caught in debt. But this is a false allegation. I have answered this in the Assembly while responding to the budget. Never have we crossed the limits imposed by the Karnataka Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2002.

“In 2013, we had given 168 promises, of which we have delivered 158 promises. In the manifesto for 2023, we had promised over 550 promises, of which we have till now delivered on 300 of them. 

“Apart from that we had announced five guarantee schemes, on which we have delivered. Till now we have spent over ₹1.4 lakh crore on guarantee schemes till now.”

Soon after submitting resignation to his post, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah remembered the famous lines of Kannada thespian actor Dr. Raj Kumar who used to refer to his fans as “abhimani devaru (fan gods) to express his respect to them.

“I am a politician. Constitution is my religion and voters are my abhimani devaru (fan gods),” he said.

“I believe we need to create an equal society where all sections get equal opportunity. Both governments I have led have strived to ensure equal opportunities,” he said.

Describing equal opportunities for all as his political credo, Siddaramaiah said that Bhagya schemes of his earlier regime and guarantees of the present as reflecting this.

Siddaramaiah immensely thanked Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge for making him Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition twice.

Going down memory lane, he said he was an “accidental politician”, with none in the family being in politics. “I have always believed in the ideals of “Buddha, Basava and Ambedkar” and that the wealth needs to be redistributed among all sections of the society,” he said.

Chief Minister expressed confidence that his resignation would be accepted by the governor soon after he returns to Lok Bhavan.

He maintained that it was the responsibility of the governor to accept the resignation once it is submitted and make way for the next chief minister to assume office.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah tendered resignation to his post to Governor’s Special Secretary Prabhushankar at Lok Bhavan.

He came to Lok Bhavan in Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh’s car, driven by the Minister himself, while a large number of leaders followed them in their vehicles. 

At the Lok Bhavan, some followers of the CM tried to block his entry, urging him to desist from tendering resignation to the chief minister’s post

He is submitting resignation reportedly as per the instructions of the Congress high command which want him to abide by the power-sharing pact as per which he would make way for Deputy Chief Minister to become chief minister.

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Amid the political developments, Bengaluru police have beefed up security and deployed over 1,000 police personnel across multiple locations. 

As speculation grows, the police have increased security at Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s residence in Sadashivanagar, anticipating crowd gatherings. 

Along with officers from the Vidhana Soudha police station, over 100 police personnel have been deputed at Raj Bhavan. 

Over 200 police officers have been deployed at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s residences, Krishna and Cauvery.

Minutes after the breakfast meeting with outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H. K. Patil said, “Mr. Siddaramaiah will resign at 3:00 pm and he told the meeting that we should all make D.K. Shivakumar the new chief minister.”

Another minister part of the breakfast meeting told The Hindu that he announced that he would be resigning as chief minister later in the day and announced that Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President D. K. Shivakumar would succeed him. “He said he was resigning after the party high command asked him to make way for new leadership and also announced that the leadership had decided Mr. Shivakumar would succeed him,” the minister told The Hindu. He further said that Mr. Siddaramaiah was poised and graceful in the meeting. 

Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said Mr. Siddaramaiah may resign as the Chief Minister but said he would continue to work for the party as its tall leader. Labour Minister Santosh Lad broke down while speaking to media persons after the breakfast meeting.

- Aditya Bharadwaj reports

After Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s breakfast meeting, Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said that CM is likely to resign at 3.30 p.m. He said he has thanked all ministers for their cooperation in the meeting and will submit his resignation to the Governor.

Political careers rarely follow a linear trajectory, and ​​Siddaramaiah​​’s nearly five-decade-long public life has been marked by dramatic turns and political reinventions, culminating in his ​​surpassing D. Devaraj Urs as Karnataka’s longest-serving Chief Minister​​.

A central figure in Karnataka politics since the mid-1980s, Siddaramaiah ​​announced his resignation from the post of Chief Minister​​ on May 28, 2026. Over the decades, he navigated the State’s complex political landscape through carefully crafted social alliances and a governance model centred on welfare and inclusivity.

​​Read Nagesh Prabhu’s profile of the AHINDA leader.​​

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Drawing the curtains on an illustrious political career spanning nearly five decades, Karnataka’s Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is learnt to have informed his Cabinet colleagues of his decision to resign from the post during the breakfast that he hosted at his official residence in Bengaluru on May 28. 

This was confirmed by Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao who attended the breakfast meeting hosted by the Chief Minister.

Besides a full five-year term between 2013-18, the veteran Congress leader recently completed three years in office in his second term on May 20.

Click here to read Sharath Srivatsa’s report about everything that transpired at the CM’s breakfast meeting.

Amid confirmation of a change in leadership in Karnataka, the State Congress unit posted images of bonhomie between CM Siddaramaiah and DCM D.K. Shivakumar captured during the breakfast meeting on May 28, 2026.

The post on X read: 

Then, now, forever 

Unity is our strength! 

Our eternal commitment to public service!

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Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah informed his cabinet colleagues of his decision to step down, during a breakfast hosted at his residence, official sources said on May 28.

His current deputy and possible successor, D.K. Shivakumar and other cabinet colleagues attended the breakfast meeting.

In a picture shared by the Chief Minister’s Office, Siddaramaiah is seen hugging an emotional Shivakumar. In another picture, CM hopeful Shivakumar is seen touching the feet of Siddaramaiah and taking his blessings.

- PTI reports

The supporters of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar gathered outside his residence and distributed sweets and raised slogans in his support in early celebrations as the state braced for an imminent transition in leadership within the party.

The supporters expressed high hopes for Mr. Shivakumar becoming the CM of the state.

“Heartiest congratulations to D.K. Shivakumar, as well as all Congress leaders in Karnataka. This is a good day. DK Shivakumar is the CM 100%,” a supporter said.

Another supporter said that Shivakumar has “sacrificed his life for Congress.” 

- ANI

As Karnataka braces for a leadership change, Home Minister G. Parameshwara claimed that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had convened a ‘breakfast meeting’ with party leaders to express his gratitude for their cooperation ahead of an expected resignation.

“The Chief Minister has called all the ministers for breakfast, and before he resigns, he wants to thank all the ministers for their cooperation,” Parameshwara stated. 

As per reports, Siddarmaiah is likely to announce his resignation as CM post the breakfast meeting with D.K. Shivakumar tipped to take over. Notably, there has been no official communication regarding any potential resignation yet.

- ANI

Amid strong speculations that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will tender his resignation to pave the way for the Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to take over the reins of Karnataka, Lok Bhavan officials said today that the former has not yet sought time to meet Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot.

This comes a day after top sources in the Chief Minister’s office on Wednesday said Siddaramaiah has sought time to meet Mr. Gehlot today.

Lok Bhavan officials said that Mr. Gehlot is in his hometown, Indore, in Madhya Pradesh.

-PTI

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is widely expected to step down, hosted a breakfast for his cabinet colleagues at his official residence in Bengaluru today.

His current deputy and possible successor, D.K. Shivakumar, and other cabinet colleagues attended the breakfast meeting.

In a picture shared by the Chief Minister’s Office, Mr. Siddaramaiah is seen hugging Mr. Shivakumar. In another picture, CM hopeful Mr. Shivakumar is seen touching the feet of Mr. Siddaramaiah and taking his blessings.

-PTI

Several Cabinet Ministers have started arriving at the residence of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah this morning to take part in the breakfast meeting, likely to start shortly.

The Chief Minister has invited his Cabinet colleagues for a breakfast meeting where he is expected to spell out his future course of action. Mr. Siddaramaiah is learnt to have been asked to pave the way for leadership while the Congress leadership has offered him a Rajya Sabha seat.

The Rajya Sabha election to fill four seats is scheduled for June 18. Congress is expected to win three and the BJP one seat. Among those retiring is Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. 

The Deputy Chief Minister D.K.Shivakumar is expected to arrive shortly. Among those who have already arrived are Santhosh Lad, Priyank Kharge, and Byrathi Suresh. 

Sharath Shrivatsa reports

Amid growing political speculation regarding the Karnataka Chief Minister’s post, supporters of Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar gathered outside his Bengaluru residence early today.

This comes as CM Siddaramaiah has called a ‘breakfast meeting’ with Congress party leaders today. Notably, former Bengaluru Mayor R. Sampath Raj was among those seen arriving at the residence.

Speculation around leadership change in the Karnataka Congress has been brewing since the government completed its two-and-a-half years of tenure last year. The Congress government in the state has now completed three years.

Both Mr. Siddaramaiah and Mr. Shivakumar were in the national capital on Tuesday and took part in a meeting with Congress’s central leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi.

-ANI

In a twist to the Congress’s proposed leadership change, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot has gone to Indore for personal reasons. Lok Bhavan sources said that the Governor left Bengaluru late on Wednesday night.

He is likely to return to Bengaluru today, but the time is not known. Sources said that he would be back in time to be with the Vice President of India, who is arriving in Karnataka on Friday. 

In the light of speculation over leadership change hereafter, the Congress high command is learnt to have asked Mr. Siddaramaiah to pave the way for a new leadership.

Sources said that a resignation of the Chief Minister has to be accepted by the Governor personally. “Even if the resignation is submitted to the special secretary, the Governor has to meet the Chief Minister before accepting it.”

Sharath Srivatsa reports

Karnataka politics seems to be undergoing a churn with leadership tussles in two national parties emerging prominently in public discourse. If the tussle in the ruling Congress over the last few months has taken the focus away from governance issues to the so-called “secret understanding” over the sharing of power, the fractured State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is losing out on opportunities to corner the Congress both on governance and political issues.

As political developments gather steam in Karnataka, read this analysis by Sharath S. Srivatsa, on how leadership issues plague the two major parties in Karnataka

Leadership change in Karnataka appears imminent, after it emerged on Tuesday (May 26, 2026) that the Congress high command has offered Chief Minister Siddaramaiah a seat in the Rajya Sabha as a candidate in the forthcoming elections.

Whether or not Mr. Siddaramaiah agrees to be a candidate for the June 18 Rajya Sabha polls, sources close to him indicated that he is likely to announce his decision on May 28. His deputy D.K. Shivakumar has been an aspirant for the State’s top post ever since the Congress government reached its half-year-mark in November 2025. However, Mr. Siddaramaiah need not resign immediately, sources said.

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A change of guard in the three-year-old Karnataka government seems imminent, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah seeking the Governor’s appointment, a day after he was apparently asked by the party high command to make way for his deputy D.K. Shivakumar’s elevation to the top post, but said he will speak on the matter today.

As the political heat rises in the southern state in anticipation of a new CM, AICC General Secretary in charge of Karnataka, Randeep Singh Surjewala, clarified that the Congress has not called for a meeting of its legislature party in the state and that no other decision has been taken yet.

He requested the media not to speculate on the issue. Mr. Surjewala, who arrived in Bengaluru on Wednesday, also met Siddaramaiah and other senior leaders.

-PTI

Amid fast-paced developments in Karnataka, all eyes are now on the breakfast meeting on May 28 being hosted by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who has been asked by the Congress high command to move to the Rajya Sabha, thus paving the way for a leadership change.

On the list of invitees are his Cabinet colleagues, including his deputy D.K. Shivakumar, who has been a contender for the top post ever since the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year-tenure in November 2025. The breakfast meeting is at the Chief Minister’s official residence in Bengaluru at 9 a.m.

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In his first interaction with the media after his New Delhi visit, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, refused to entertain pointed questions on leadership change in the State. In a one-liner, he said on Wednesday (May 27, 2026), “I will speak tomorrow.” He is to hold a breakfast meeting with his Cabinet colleagues on Thursday (May 28) after which he is expected to announce his decision.

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BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra has asserted that Karnataka is headed for mid-term elections, regardless of who succeeds Siddaramaiah as Chief Minister in the ongoing Congress power struggle.

Speaking to the media in Shivamogga on Wednesday (May 27), Mr. Vijayendra said the Congress high command’s marathon meeting in Delhi, which culminated in a directive to Mr. Siddaramaiah to step down, was itself an admission of the government’s failure. 

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