Siddaramaiah says Congress High Command has chosen D.K. Shivakumar as next CM of Karnataka

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah this morning confirmed that he will step down from the post, ending a three-year leadership tussle within the Congress Government and paving the way for Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar (DKS) to take over as the next CM.

“Congress High Command has proposed D.K. Shivakumar as the next CM. I have agreed to it,” Siddaramaiah told senior Ministers during a breakfast meeting at his official residence ‘Cauvery’ in Bengaluru this morning. Siddaramaiah was to submit his resignation to the Governor at 2.30 pm when we to press. DKS, who is also Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President, will succeed him.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had reportedly been directed by the Congress High Command on Tuesday to step down and travel to Delhi after tendering        his resignation.

Public display of unity

Today’s breakfast meeting, widely seen as Siddaramaiah’s farewell interaction with his Cabinet colleagues, was attended by senior Ministers, including Shivakumar. Traditional Karnataka dishes such as masala dosa, idli, sambar, chutney and kesaribath were served during the gathering.

Images of Shivakumar embracing Siddaramaiah and later touching his feet in a gesture of respect quickly went viral on social media, signalling a public display of unity after months of intense speculation over the State’s leadership transition.

However, the significance of the public display of unity was not lost on political observers who have closely followed the often-bitter power struggle between the two leaders.

Intensified rivalry

The undercurrent of rivalry, which persisted through 2024, intensified in November 2025 as supporters of D.K. Shivakumar stepped up pressure on the Congress leadership to honour the widely speculated power-sharing arrangement believed to have been worked out after the party’s 2023 Assembly election victory.

Though neither the Congress High Command nor the two leaders ever officially acknowledged such an agreement, political circles long maintained that the arrangement envisaged Siddaramaiah serving as Chief Minister for the first two-and-a-half years, after which Shivakumar would take over.

‘All the best’

According to sources, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar also held a closed-door meeting for nearly 40 minutes during the breakfast session. Siddaramaiah

is said to have wished Shivakumar ‘all the best’ before formally informing Cabinet colleagues that the High Command had chosen him (DKS) as the next Chief Minister.

Siddaramaiah was scheduled to visit Lok Bhavan at 2.30 pm to submit his resignation. Sources said, he may hand over his resignation letter to the Governor’s Secretary if Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot is unavailable.

Leaving for Delhi

The Governor had reportedly left for Indore in Madhya Pradesh late Wednesday night to visit one of his ailing relatives, who is undergoing treatment at a hospital there. However, he is expected to return to Bengaluru later in the day.

The outgoing Chief Minister was scheduled to address a press conference at his home office, ‘Krishna,’ at 3 pm before leaving for Delhi by a special flight at 4.30 pm.

In Delhi, Siddaramaiah is expected to meet Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and other senior members of the party leadership.

Meanwhile, uncertainty continues within the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) as the All India Congress Committee (AICC) is yet to formally convene a CLP meeting to elect the party’s new Legislature leader.