Siddaramaiah to be next Karnataka chief minister: How Congress stalwart made it to top?

Siddaramaiah, the nine-time MLA, will be the next Karnataka chief minister, Congress announced after four days of hectic parleys. In the past four days, Delhi has seen Congress huddling for meetings between the top leadership to hammer out a solution between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar -- the two chief ministerial aspirants. To break the deadlock, “it has been decided by consensus that Siddaramaiah will be the next chief minister and Shivakumar will be the deputy chief minister”.

Siddaramaiah had a humble starting from a farming family. From a boy who had no formal schooling to a two-time chief minister, 75-year-old Siddaramaiah has come a long way and his journey is anything but mundane.

Coming from a rural family and belonging to the Kuruba (shepherd) community, Siddaramaiah graduated B.Sc. from Mysore University and completed his law degree from the same university. Siddaramaiah also pursued law for some time. Influenced by socialism advocated by Dr Ram Manohar Lohia, Siddaramaiah entered the 7th Karnataka Legislative Assembly as an Independent MLA in 1983 from Chamundeshwari Assembly Constituency, which later became his stronghold, electing him four times until 2006.

During his initial years, Siddaramaiah also announced his support to the Janata Party government and later came to be known as “farmers’ lawyer”. Contesting on the Janata Party ticket, Siddaramaiah won the Chamundeshwari seat five times.

After losing the 1989 election, Siddaramaiah was elected an MLA again from the Chamundeshwari constituency and became state finance minister in the Janata Dal government headed by Deve Gowda. In 1996, Siddaramaiah was made deputy chief minister to then Chief Minister JH Patel. He lost the 1999 state election was but re-elected again from the Chamundeshwari constituency.

In 2004, JD(S) and Congress formed a coalition government with a rotational chief ministership deal. However, Siddaramaih feared that the Congress wouldn’t hand him over the baton and formed AHINDA (Association of Minorities, Backward Classes and Dalits), triggering clashes between him and Deve Gowda. Siddaramaiah was expelled from the Janata Dal (Secular) due to his differences. He wanted to form his own party but didn’t because the previous regional parties in the state had failed.

He went on to join the Congress and registered a win again from the Chamundeshwari constituency by a margin of 257 votes against M Shivabasappa of JD(S). In 2008 and 2013, Siddaramaiah contested from Varuna constituency and won two times. His big moment also came in 2013 when Siddaramaiah became 22nd Chief Minister of Karnataka. He served from 13 May, 2013 to 17 May, 2018. In 2018 Assembly polls, Siddaramaiah left his Varuna seat for his son and fought from Chamundeshwari and Badami. He only won from Badami.

During his tenure as the chief minister, Siddaramaiah's leadership was characterised by a blend of notable achievements and controversies that stirred public discourse. Despite corruption allegations, party infighting and disruptions from the political opponents, Siddaramaiah completed his five-year term.

In 2018, he resigned from the chief minister’s post, making way for HD Kumaraswamy to takeover as part of the Congress-JD(S) deal. The Congress stalwart won from the Varuna constituency in 2023 and is set to become the 24th Chief Minister of Karnataka.