Congress set to pick Siddaramaiah’s successor as Shivakumar emerges frontrunner

The Congress is expected to decide Karnataka’s next Chief Minister on May 30 after Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot accepted Siddaramaiah’s resignation, formalizing a major leadership transition in the state. While the party leadership is yet to make an official announcement, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has emerged as the strongest contender to take over the top post.

Soon after stepping down on May 28, Siddaramaiah flew to New Delhi for consultations with the Congress high command. He later met Rahul Gandhi at 10 Janpath and also held discussions with AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge amid intense deliberations over government formation, cabinet reshuffle and organisational changes within the Karnataka Congress unit.

The Karnataka Congress Legislature Party meeting has now been scheduled for May 30, where MLAs are expected to formally elect the next Chief Minister.

Shivakumar’s position within the party appeared to strengthen further after he publicly praised Siddaramaiah’s leadership in an emotional message on X. Calling the former Chief Minister a leader who rose from a humble village in Mysuru through “resilience and perseverance,” Shivakumar credited him for expanding welfare and social justice initiatives across Karnataka.

He also highlighted their political partnership since 2020, when he became Karnataka Congress president, saying Siddaramaiah had stood beside him “like a pillar of strength.” Shivakumar added that serving under him as Deputy Chief Minister had been a privilege and expressed confidence that their political journey for Karnataka would continue together.

The leadership transition, however, comes with significant political challenges for the Congress. Siddaramaiah remains one of the party’s tallest mass leaders in Karnataka, commanding strong support among OBCs, minorities and Dalits. He was also the face of the Congress government’s flagship “five guarantees” welfare model, which expanded social security benefits but simultaneously triggered criticism from opposition parties and economists over pressure on the state’s finances and reduced capital expenditure space.

Adding to the political drama, Siddaramaiah’s flight to Delhi was briefly diverted to Jaipur because of bad weather before he eventually reached the national capital with senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala accompanying him.

Senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily described the transition as part of the party’s culture of leadership continuity and renewal. He said Siddaramaiah stepped down “with full satisfaction” after completing two terms as Chief Minister and eight years in office overall, insisting the veteran leader carried “no regret” about leaving the post.

Party insiders indicated that clarity on the new Chief Minister and the shape of the next Karnataka cabinet could emerge within the next 48 hours.