Siddaramaiah resigned as Karnataka Chief Minister on Thursday afternoon after serving in the position for three years. DK Shivakumar accompanied him to the Governor’s House while tendering resignation. Siddaramaiah has tendered his resignation to Karnataka Governor Thawarchand Gehlot’s private secretary as he is currently out of town. The secretary said that only the governor could accept the resignation upon his return.
The outgoing Prime Minister thanked the Congress leadership for its support and love while speaking to reporters after submitting his resignation. Siddaramaiah said he expected the governor to accept his resignation upon his return and allow the next prime minister to take charge in accordance with the Constitution. However, he left the press conference without giving any hint about who the next prime minister would be.
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“I never compromised my ideology”
Siddaramaiah said he has never compromised on his ideology in his 50 years of being in active politics. “I never believed in amassing a fortune for myself. I was an MLA in a taluk and a 1983 MLA. It will be almost 50 years in politics in 2028. Only those who have popular power can come to power. Only people can bring us to power. So, even today, I stick to the values I believe in and have never compromised on my ideology,” the outgoing chief minister said.
Siddaramaiah said that the Constitution is “dharmana” and the voters were like gods and well-wishers to the representatives of the public. He said he had the opportunity to serve twice as Chief Minister of Karnataka and twice as Leader of the Opposition.
“Received immense love and affection from party leaders”
He thanked Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge for their support and said that since joining the Congress in 2006, he has received immense love and affection from party leaders, workers and legislators.
Siddaramaiah also expressed his gratitude to his colleagues who worked with him during his two terms as Chief Minister, from 2013 to 2018 and from 2023 to date, saying they extended full support and cooperation to him.
He also criticized the opposition, saying even Prime Minister Narendra Modi spread rumors about me.
The opposition, including the Prime Minister, tried to spread rumors about me,” says Siddaramaiah
“The opposition tried to spread rumors about me, including the country’s prime minister. They said I would not be able to fulfill promises, they said the funds would be empty. But we proved everyone wrong,” Siddaramaiah told reporters.
The outgoing Prime Minister is expected to meet LoP Rahul Gandhi today
Siddaramaiah is also expected to meet Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Thursday evening, sources said, adding that he may reveal more about his future plans.
Speculation about the leadership change has intensified since the morning after Siddaramaiah held a breakfast meeting with several government ministers, including Shivakumar. Pictures of the two leaders embracing after the meeting sparked more buzz around the transition process.
Reports of discord and a possible power-sharing arrangement within the Congress government have continued since the party came to power in Karnataka in 2023. While Siddaramaiah has been chosen as chief minister, demands from sections of the party that Shivakumar should eventually take over the role have not completely faded away.
