Bengaluru, May 28, 2026: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has announced his decision to step down from the top post during an unscheduled breakfast meeting at his official residence in Bengaluru on May 28, 2026. The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, several cabinet colleagues, and senior Congress leaders, including Priyank Kharge, KJ George, MB Patil, Ramalinga Reddy, and HK Patil. Photographs released by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) captured emotional moments, including Siddaramaiah hugging Shivakumar and Shivakumar touching the CM’s feet seeking blessings, signaling a smooth transition of leadership.
According to CMO sources, Siddaramaiah sought an appointment with Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot after receiving clear indications from the Congress high command about a leadership change in the state. However, sources at Lok Bhavan clarified that no formal request for a meeting had yet been made to the Governor, who left Bengaluru for his hometown in Indore on Wednesday night due to a personal family emergency. Gehlot flew from Bengaluru to Mumbai on Wednesday night and then to Indore at 7 am on Thursday morning.
The development comes amid intense political speculation over a possible change of guard in Karnataka, with multiple reports suggesting that the Congress high command had asked Siddaramaiah to step aside and offered him a central role in the party along with a Rajya Sabha seat. While Siddaramaiah has not yet formally accepted the proposal, sources indicate that the push for his resignation came directly from top party leader Rahul Gandhi. Earlier, Siddaramaiah had publicly stated that he would step down if asked to do so by the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
On May 27, AICC General Secretary in charge of Karnataka, Randeep Singh Surjewala, clarified that the Congress had not convened a meeting of its Karnataka Legislative Party (CLP) and no formal decision had been taken so far. He urged the media to refrain from speculation and stated that the party would follow due procedure to elect its leader through a CLP meeting. Surjewala, who arrived in Bengaluru on May 27, also held meetings with Siddaramaiah and other senior leaders.
The leadership tussle in Karnataka intensified after reports emerged that Shivakumar’s supporters had claimed a “promise” was made to him during the 2023 state assembly elections that he would be elevated to the Chief Minister’s post. The Congress high command had summoned both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar to Delhi on Tuesday, where back-to-back meetings were held at the Congress headquarters involving Rahul Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, and party General Secretaries K C Venugopal and Surjewala. While KC Venugopal dismissed reports of an imminent leadership transition, stating that discussions focused only on upcoming Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections, the political atmosphere in Karnataka remained charged.
Siddaramaiah is expected to formally tender his resignation at 3 PM today, following which a Congress Legislative Party meeting will be convened to elect the new leader of the Karnataka Assembly. Shivakumar, widely seen as the frontrunner to succeed Siddaramaiah, has been actively consolidating support within the party. The Governor’s absence due to personal reasons has delayed the formal process of accepting the resignation, but Siddaramaiah has indicated his willingness to submit the resignation even in the Governor’s absence.
As the state braces for a leadership transition, the Congress party has sought to downplay the developments, emphasizing that all decisions will be taken through due parliamentary and party processes. However, the emotional scenes at the breakfast meeting and the active involvement of senior leaders underscore the significance of this political shift in Karnataka.
