Breakfast meeting in Bengaluru, Governor Gehlot out of town: Will Siddaramaiah step down as Karnataka CM today?

Speculation over a change of guard in the Congress government in Karnataka may finally end today, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expected to announce whether he will step down from the top post.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar is scheduled to attend a breakfast meeting called by Siddaramaiah at the CM's residence in Kaveri, Bengaluru, today.

Shivakumar is speculated to replace 77-year-old Siddaramaiah as the next Chief Minister of Karnataka.

Siddamaraiah had reportedly also sought appointment with Governor Thawarchand Gehlot in the afternoon after a breakfast meeting, further fueling speculation. “I will speak tomorrow,” the CM said, after paying floral tributes to former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on his death anniversary on Wednesday.

The Governor is however, out of town in Madhya Pradesh.

The Congress party has asked Siddaramaiah to resign, according to multiple media reports on Wednesday, 27 May.

The top leadership of the Congress party met for hours separately with Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar in the national capital on Tuesday to resolve what was being called a leadership tussle in the state.

Some reports suggested that many formulas were being discussed if Siddaramaiah chose to step aside. One option, the reports said, was to have multiple deputy CMs under the new chief minister.

Meanwhile, Congress MLA Ashok K Pattan told reporters that the “CM might resign after 3 pm on Thursday”.

Pattan told reporters, “He has already taken an appointment with the governor. About the next CM, the high command will decide.”

Senior Congress MLA and Chairperson of the Administrative Reforms Commission R V Deshpande claimed that Siddaramaiah told him he had decided to resign.

The former minister, who met the CM at his residence, said that when some MLAs insisted he should not resign, Siddaramaiah replied that he had given his word to the high command and would respect it.

No official word from Congress

There has been no official word from Congress on the change of guard in Karnataka despite anticipation. 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.

The Legislature Party selects its leader, the obvious choice for CM.

Surjewala, who arrived in Bengaluru on Wednesday, also met Siddaramaiah and other senior leaders.

Some sources told news agency PTI that Siddaramaiah may have decided to step down because the message came directly from top party Rahul Gandhi. The CM had repeatedly stated he would step down if the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha asked him to do so.

Home Minister G Parameshwara, whose name has been off-and-on popping up in the context of the CM race, remained tight-lipped about Siddaramaiah's meeting with the Congress high command in Delhi, saying no one knows what was discussed. He also downplayed the buzz around his possible elevation. He said everyone has to abide by the party's decision.

Longest-serving CM of Karnataka

Siddaramaiah is Karnataka’s longest-serving CM. Siddaramaiah, who is also the only CM after Urs to complete five years, was in the office for 1,829 days in his first term from 13 May 2013 to 15 May 2018.

In his second term so far, since 20 May 2023, he has completed over three years, 1105 days to be precise on Thursday, 28 May.

Taking a dig at the ruling party, BJP state president BY Vijayendra claimed that the Congress high command's possible "decision" was to replace Chief Minister Siddaramaiah after concluding that the state government had "failed" to provide good governance during the last three years.

He also predicted mid-term Assembly polls in the state irrespective of who becomes the next chief minister.

Leadership tussle in Karnataka

At the core of the leadership tangle in the southern state 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 state assembly elections.

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 November 20, 2025.

There was stiff competition between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, who is also party state president, for the coveted chief minister's post after the Congress won the May 2023 Assembly election. The party had then managed to convince Shivakuamr and made him the deputy CM.

There were reports at the time that a compromise had been reached based on a "rotational chief minister formula," under which Shivakumar would become CM after two-and-a-half years, but the party has not officially confirmed them.

(With PTI inputs)