Siddaramaiah Steps Down as Karnataka Chief Minister
Congress veteran ends record-breaking tenure as DK Shivakumar set to take over top post
- Siddaramaiah resigned after serving over eight years as Karnataka CM
- DK Shivakumar likely to be sworn in as new Chief Minister soon
- Congress leader became Karnataka’s longest-serving CM in January
- Ahinda support base cemented Siddaramaiah’s influence in state politics
GG News Bureau
Bengaluru, 28th May: Veteran Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Thursday stepped down as Karnataka Chief Minister, bringing to an end a record-breaking political tenure spanning more than eight years across two separate terms.
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar is expected to replace him, with the swearing-in likely to take place as early as Saturday.
The transition marks a major political shift for the Congress in Karnataka as the party prepares for the 2028 Assembly elections.
Siddaramaiah, 80, created history earlier this year when he surpassed former Chief Minister D. Devaraj Urs to become Karnataka’s longest-serving Chief Minister.
Despite mounting pressure from Shivakumar’s supporters in recent months, Siddaramaiah retained control of the government, highlighting the considerable influence he continues to wield within the Congress leadership and voter base.
Political observers have long attributed Siddaramaiah’s strength to his hold over the AHINDA social coalition — representing minorities, backward classes and Dalits — which forms a substantial portion of Karnataka’s electorate.
His political rise was closely linked to welfare-oriented governance and pro-poor initiatives introduced during his first term as Chief Minister beginning in 2013.
Schemes under the popular “Bhagya” umbrella, including subsidised food grains and essential commodities for poor families, helped build his image as a mass leader despite criticism from the opposition BJP over government expenditure.
However, Siddaramaiah’s tenure was also marked by controversies, including allegations linked to the Mysuru Urban Development Authority land allotment case involving his wife Parvathi. Both were later cleared of wrongdoing.
Born in 1948 into a farming family from the Kuruba community in Mysuru district, Siddaramaiah entered politics after being influenced by socialist ideology and leaders such as Ram Manohar Lohia.
He first became an MLA in 1983 from Chamundeshwari as an independent candidate before joining the Janata Dal in 1985. Over the years, he served as Transport Minister, Finance Minister and Deputy Chief Minister before parting ways with the Janata Dal leadership led by H. D. Deve Gowda.
He joined the Congress in 2006 and gradually emerged as one of the party’s strongest leaders in Karnataka through statewide campaigns and consolidation of the AHINDA vote bank.
Siddaramaiah’s resignation now opens a new chapter in Karnataka politics, with Shivakumar set to lead the Congress government amid growing political challenges and expectations ahead of the next Assembly polls.
