Siddaramaiah to step down as Karnataka CM, offered Rajya Sabha berth: Report
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Siddaramaiah to step down as Karnataka CM, offered Rajya Sabha berth: Report")
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah meets State Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivkumar, in New Delhi on Tuesday. Photograph: (ANI)
According to media reports, the Congress leadership backed DK Shivakumar’s claim for the top post following a series of meetings involving senior party leaders in Delhi.
The Congress leadership has reportedly moved closer to resolving the long-running leadership question in Karnataka, with Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar emerging as the likely successor to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, according to an NDTV report citing sources.
The report said the Congress high command has backed Shivakumar’s claim for the top post after a series of discussions involving senior party leaders in Delhi.
According to NDTV, Siddaramaiah has been offered a Rajya Sabha seat and asked to take up a larger organisational and national role from Delhi. Sources said the Karnataka Chief Minister has sought some time before making a final decision.
The report further said Siddaramaiah discussed the matter with his close supporters and indicated that he would “abide by the decisions of the high command”.
The developments come after marathon meetings in the national capital involving Siddaramaiah, DK Shivakumar, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Surjewala.
The latest developments have once again brought the Congress party’s unresolved power-sharing debate in Karnataka into focus.
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Since the Congress returned to power in Karnataka in 2023, supporters of Shivakumar have repeatedly maintained that a rotational chief ministership arrangement had been informally agreed upon during government formation.
Although the Congress leadership has never officially confirmed such a formula, speculation over a leadership transition has continued within the state unit for nearly two years.
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With Siddaramaiah now reportedly considering stepping aside, Shivakumar is widely viewed as the frontrunner to take over if the party formally announces a leadership change.
The timing has also become significant as nominations for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections are scheduled to be filed by June 8, increasing pressure on the Congress leadership to finalise its decision quickly.
Attention is now focused on Siddaramaiah’s expected press conference in Bengaluru on Thursday, which could provide clarity on whether Karnataka is heading towards a leadership transition.
So far, neither Siddaramaiah nor Shivakumar has publicly commented on the issue, while the Congress leadership has continued to officially deny any discussions regarding a change in the Chief Minister’s post.
