While he submitted his resignation to the Governor’s office, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said the party had offered to move him to the Rajya Sabha but he rejected the offer as he preferred to remain in state politics.
“They asked me to go to Rajya Sabha. I politely told them no, saying I want to stay in state politics and am not interested in national politics,” Siddaramaiah told reporters at a press conference after submitting his resignation.
The outgoing Prime Minister said that he will continue in public life and complete his remaining term as an MLA. “I have two more years as MLA. I will serve my people. I will continue in active politics,” he said.
Read also | ‘I’m resigning, even the high command now’: Siddaramaiah leaves Karnataka on cliffhanger, CM post not yet for Shivakumar
Flanked by his deputy and rival, DK Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah was asked who he would prefer as his successor. Siddaramaiah did not take any names. “Whoever the high command and the CLP choose will be the head of state,” he said.
The Congress veteran said he had already handed in his resignation letter, even though Governor Thawchand Gehlot was outside Bengaluru. “The governor is not in the city. The resignation letter has been delivered to his office and to the secretary,” he said.
Siddaramaiah admitted that he resigned on the instructions of the Congress leadership.
“I have been saying this for a while that when the senior leadership asks me, I will submit my resignation,” he said.
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“Recently, the high command asked for it. I told them that I will resign today,” he said, in an apparent reference to the marathon meetings held on Tuesday between the party leadership, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.
Siddaramaiah said he expected the governor to complete the formalities after his return to the state capital.
“Once the prime minister tenders his resignation, it is his responsibility to accept it and allow the next prime minister to take charge… We have a majority and to allow the next prime minister to take charge is constitutional.”
During the hour-long interaction, Siddaramaiah repeatedly returned to themes such as social justice and welfare politics that have shaped his political identity over four decades of public life. “I believe that the Constitution is our dharma and voters are our gods,” he said. “I believe that all sects, religions and communities should live together.”
Read also | What’s next for Siddaramaiah? Congress leader reveals his plan after stepping down as Karnataka Chief Minister
Recalling his rise from rural Karnataka, Siddaramaiah described his political journey as improbable.
“I come from a village. I never thought I would become a minister, minister or prime minister,” he said. “My entry into politics was an accident. No one in my family worked in politics.”
He thanked Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge for their support after he joined the party after being expelled from the Janata Dal (Secular).
“Sonia Gandhi invited me to the Congress party in 2008 when I was expelled from the JD(S) for mobilizing under the banner of AHINDA,” he said, referring to the socio-political platform in Karnataka, which represents minorities, backward classes and Dalits.
Siddaramaiah defended his government’s guarantee schemes and rejected allegations that welfare spending had weakened the state’s public finances.
“There have been disinformation campaigns against me, including by the country’s prime minister, saying that our treasury will be empty and there will be no money for social welfare programmes,” he said.
“But after we launched the five guarantee schemes, Karnataka became first in terms of per capita income and second in GST collection.”
Responding to the debt-related allegations, Siddaramaiah said Karnataka remained within financial limits. He said, “The fiscal deficit must be less than 3%. We are at 2.95%. Debt must be 25% of GDP. We are at 24.94%.”
He said the state’s revenue shortfall was linked to the previous BJP government and lower-than-expected allocations from the Finance Commission. He added, “The purchasing power of people’s lives has improved thanks to guarantee programs.”
Siddaramaiah also used the occasion to reiterate his ideological stance and opposition to communal politics. “Until my last breath, I will fight against sectarian forces,” he said. “If there was no constitution, I would never have become literate, an MLA, DyCM or CM. My parents were illiterate.”
The outgoing Prime Minister said he had no regrets about his political career and insisted he had never compromised on his principles.
“I never believed in creating a fortune for myself,” he said. He added: “Only those who have the power of the people can come to power. It is the people who bring us to power… I adhere to the values I believe in and have never compromised on my faith.”
