Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is set to host a breakfast meeting with members of the state Cabinet on Thursday , a gathering that could be his last as Chief Minister, with strong indications that he may step down from the post shortly thereafter.
According to the Indian Express, sources said Siddaramaiah has sought an appointment with Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot on Thursday to submit his resignation.
A Congress Legislature Party meeting is then expected to follow, scheduled for either Friday or Saturday, at which a new leader is likely to be chosen. Siddaramaiah is the longest-serving Chief Minister of Karnataka, having held the position for just over eight years across two terms.
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, widely considered the frontrunner to succeed Siddaramaiah, is currently in Delhi and is expected to travel to Bengaluru on Thursday morning to attend the breakfast meeting.
AICC general secretaries K.C. Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala are also expected to be present, the Indian Express reported.
Public Works Department Minister Satish Jarkiholi told reporters that while leadership change speculation was rife, it would only be confirmed once Siddaramaiah made an official announcement at the breakfast meeting.
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"Then there will be a full stop to this whole episode. I don't know what directions the high command has issued. We will only know at the meeting," he said, according to the Indian Express.
Beyond the question of who becomes the next Chief Minister, the Congress leadership is also expected to name a new Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president. Shivakumar has held that post for the past six years, and a leadership transition at both positions simultaneously would mark a sweeping reshuffle of the state party apparatus.
The development follows a marathon meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday, after which Venugopal, flanked by both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, told reporters that discussions had focused entirely on the upcoming Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections in Karnataka, dismissing all leadership change talk as "only speculation — no reality at all."
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