Karnataka's political drama reached its most decisive moment yet on Wednesday as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah sought an appointment with Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot for May 28, a move that has set off intense speculation that he may tender his resignation, potentially paving the way for Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to take over as chief minister.
"Yes, he has sought time to meet the Governor tomorrow," a highly placed source close to the chief minister told PTI. According to Congress sources cited by PTI, Siddaramaiah may submit his resignation to the governor during the meeting.
The development comes on the heels of marathon deliberations in New Delhi on Tuesday, where the Congress leadership — including Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge — held several hours of discussions separately and jointly with both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. The party is expected to take a final call on the leadership change after the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled next month, PTI reported.
Sources told PTI that the Shivakumar camp has been pressing hard for Siddaramaiah to vacate the top post. A formula offering Siddaramaiah a central role in Delhi was proposed, which he has not accepted. He was also offered a Rajya Sabha seat, which, too, reportedly declined.
At the heart of the dispute is a reported assurance made during the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections, under which Siddaramaiah was understood to serve the first two-and-a-half years as chief minister, with Shivakumar taking over for the remaining term.
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Shivakumar's camp has been invoking that understanding with increasing urgency in recent weeks.
Siddaramaiah himself remained characteristically cryptic on Wednesday. After paying floral tributes to Jawaharlal Nehru on his 62nd death anniversary at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru, he told reporters, "We will talk about it tomorrow" — when asked specifically about the talks with the party high command.
VIDEO | Bengaluru: “Will speak tomorrow”, says Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah when asked about discussions held with Congress high command in New Delhi.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 27, 2026
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/VPgJtoM6Q7
Thursday morning is set to begin with a key breakfast meeting at Siddaramaiah's official residence Kaveri, where Shivakumar and other legislators are expected to gather — a meeting that could formally mark the beginning of the end of Siddaramaiah's tenure as Karnataka's longest-serving chief minister, having held the post for just over eight years across two terms.
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