SUMMARY

Karnataka appeared headed for a major political transition on Wednesday as speculation intensified that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah could step down on Thursday amid pressure within the Congress for a change of guard. Siddaramaiah is expected to tender his resignation at around 11 am on Thursday, while Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar is the frontrunner to replace him if the leadership transition is formalised, India Today reported, citing sources aware of the matter. 

The buzz grew after sources in the Chief Minister's Office said Siddaramaiah had sought an appointment with Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot for May 28. Congress insiders indicated that he could submit his resignation during that meeting. Siddaramaiah is also expected to host a breakfast meeting for the Karnataka cabinet at his Bengaluru residence tomorrow morning.

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Congress general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Surjewala is scheduled to arrive in Bengaluru the same day and is likely to hold consultations with senior leaders as the party tries to manage the transition and contain factional tensions.

The anticipated change follows days of backchannel talks between Karnataka leaders and the Congress high command in Delhi. Sources said Siddaramaiah was urged to move to national politics through the Rajya Sabha and take on a larger organisational role ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

The developments came after meetings in Delhi involving Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal and Surjewala. While the Congress publicly said the discussions were limited to the Rajya Sabha and Karnataka Legislative Council polls, sources indicated that the leadership change in Karnataka remained the central issue.

The possible resignation has again brought the Congress's unresolved power-sharing tensions in Karnataka into focus. Since the party returned to power in 2023, Shivakumar's supporters have repeatedly claimed that a rotational chief ministership formula had been agreed upon. Neither Siddaramaiah nor Shivakumar has commented publicly on the issue, and the Congress continues to deny that any discussion on replacing the Chief Minister has taken place.

Published on: May 27, 2026 2:14 PM IST