Congress Urges Siddaramaiah To Step Down As Karnataka CM, Offer Delhi Role

The Congress attempted to resolve the political impasse over the top position in Karnataka with several meetings on Tuesday between the party leadership and chief minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy, DK Shivakumar, with sources claiming that the high command pushed the CM to step aside by 28 May.

According to insiders, the veteran leader is also scheduled to host a breakfast meeting for the entire Karnataka cabinet at his official residence on Thursday morning and hold a press conference in Bengaluru tomorrow. As the Congress leadership tries to handle what is quickly becoming a tense succession battle within the state unit, the meeting is being carefully watched.

Senior Congress leaders have rejected any debate on leadership change and stated that negotiations were limited to the Rajya Sabha and Karnataka Legislative Council elections.

However, according to the Indian Express, sources claim that the serious discussions, attempts at persuasion, and a well-crafted political offer were intended to persuade the seasoned Karnataka leader to step down as chief minister.

Sources claim that the Congress leadership informed Siddaramaiah that the party now required him in Delhi as one of its most well-known OBC faces, especially at a time when Rahul Gandhi has aggressively strengthened the Congress's social justice and caste census campaign nationwide.

“He was told that he is a major OBC face and the party wants him to play a much bigger role nationally in the run-up to the 2029 Lok Sabha elections,” a source familiar with the discussions said to the Indian Express.

According to sources, if Siddaramaiah consented to move to Delhi via the Rajya Sabha route, "all other things and his issues will be taken care of."

Before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress leadership reportedly wants to give Siddaramaiah a bigger organisational role in Delhi and move him into national politics through the Rajya Sabha.

Additionally, the Rajya Sabha option is considered a more politically seamless way for Siddaramaiah to leave Karnataka politics and move to Delhi while maintaining his stature and significance.

The timing is crucial, with nominations for the Rajya Sabha elections to be filed by June 8, leaving the Congress leadership with little room for delay.

Delhi Meetings

During a crucial one-on-one conversation during the seven-hour meeting, which reportedly included Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, Siddaramaiah was informed directly that the party wanted him to step down as Karnataka Chief Minister and take on a more significant organisational position at the Centre.

Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, KC Venugopal, and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Surjewala attended the larger meeting at the Congress headquarters.

According to sources, the Congress leadership framed the decision as a political elevation rather than a dismissal and took extra care to avoid upsetting Siddaramaiah throughout the talks.

However, the Karnataka Chief Minister did not immediately approve the idea.

Despite reports and vast speculation around the Delhi meetings, the Congress maintained complete public silence on any leadership transition.

“Today’s discussion was only around Rajya Sabha polls and MLC elections. Whatever you speculated is not true,” Venugopal told reporters.

“We had a meeting. CM, DCM and Randeep were present. The entire discussion concentrated on Rajya Sabha and MLC seats today. Stop speculation,” he added.

Will DK Shivakumar be CM?

The developments have once again placed Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar at the centre of Karnataka's power dynamics, despite reports that there was no official discussion about Siddaramaiah's successor.

Supporters of DK Shivakumar have insisted for almost two years that when the Congress formed the government in 2023, there was a power-sharing arrangement in place, with Siddaramaiah assuming leadership initially and Shivakumar anticipated to follow.

Although the Congress leadership has never made such an arrangement publicly known, the rumours have also never completely vanished.

Now, with Siddaramaiah likely to step down on Thursday, chatter around DK Shivakumar becoming the next Chief Minister has intensified sharply within the Karnataka Congress.

However, the leadership seems eager to avoid portraying the change as a win for one side over the other, knowing that any sense of humiliation for Siddaramaiah could worsen divisions inside the state.

The Congress’s outreach to Siddaramaiah signals its broader strategy for 2029, with Rahul Gandhi increasingly focusing on OBC politics, caste representation and social justice. Party leaders see Siddaramaiah not just as a Karnataka figure, but as a key national OBC face to counter the BJP.

As per the Indian Express, sources said recent Delhi meetings officially focused on upcoming Rajya Sabha and Karnataka Legislative Council polls. Congress is expected to win three of Karnataka’s four Rajya Sabha seats, with Mallikarjun Kharge likely to be renominated. DK Suresh and a possible woman or OBC candidate are also being considered. All eyes are now on Siddaramaiah’s expected Bengaluru press conference, which could signal a major leadership transition in Karnataka.