Siddaramaiah stepped down as Karnataka chief minister on Thursday and soon after made it clear that he was not leaving state politics.
Speaking after submitting his resignation to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, the veteran Congress leader said he would continue as an MLA and remain active in Karnataka’s political life. He also sought to shut down speculation that he might shift to the Rajya Sabha or to a larger national role.
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Siddaramaiah Resigns as Karnataka CM.#Karnataka Chief Minister #Siddaramaiah submitted his resignation to Special Secretary to Karnataka Governor, in the presence of Deputy CM DK Shivakumar.
Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, who is out of the state, is returning… pic.twitter.com/vbe31ose2D
— Surya Reddy (@jsuryareddy) May 28, 2026
The old hand stays put in Bengaluru
The outgoing chief minister said the Congress high command had offered him a Rajya Sabha berth, but he declined it.
“I have politely told them no,” Siddaramaiah said, adding that he wanted to remain in state politics. He said he still has two more years as an MLA and intended to serve his people during that period. He also said that he had resigned “on my own accord.”
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah became visibly emotional while speaking about his tenure after announcing his resignation from the Chief Minister’s post today
While the resignation has been submitted, it is yet to be formally accepted by Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot, who is… pic.twitter.com/Sbz8xPWqYX
— Nabila Jamal (@nabilajamal_) May 28, 2026
Now comes the delicate business of succession
Siddaramaiah also underlined that the decision on Karnataka’s next chief minister would be taken by the Congress leadership and the Congress Legislature Party.
“Whoever the high command and CLP choose will be the CM of the state,” he said. His remarks came amid a leadership transition inside the Karnataka Congress, with the party moving to settle the issue after weeks of speculation over the top post.
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The Karnataka chessboard shifts once again
According to the Hindustan Times report, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar had earlier emerged as the frontrunner for the post.
The transition followed months of speculation over a possible power-sharing arrangement within the state Congress, a debate that had persisted since the party’s 2023 Assembly election win.
Siddaramaiah had publicly maintained earlier that there was no formal rotational chief ministership agreement, even as negotiations continued within the party. The CLP is expected to formally elect its new leader later on Thursday after consultations with central observers appointed by the party high command.
