With Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stepping down amid a leadership transition in the State, supporters of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar offered special prayers at the 101 Ganapathi Temple in Agrahara on Thursday, expressing hope that he would become the next Chief Minister.

The supporters, under the auspices of the Mysuru district committee of the Akhila Karnataka Vokkaligara Sangha, broke 101 coconuts at the temple and performed a special puja, saying Mr. Shivakumar deserved the top post for steering the Congress to a thumping victory in the 2023 Assembly elections and for serving the party as a disciplined worker for more than four decades.

They said they had prayed for Mr. Shivakumar to take the oath as Chief Minister on Friday itself. Holding posters of Mr. Shivakumar, the supporters raised slogans in his favour.

They also thanked Mr Siddaramaiah for “making way” for Mr Shivakumar, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, after completing three years in office, referring to the reported “power-sharing” arrangement within the party.

Tejaswi Gowda, a pro-Kannada activist who participated in the prayers, said Mr. Shivakumar possessed the administrative ability and political acumen to lead the State effectively.