Siddaramaiah confirms resignation at Karnataka Cabinet meeting, backs DK Shivkumar as next CM

PTC News Desk: Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Thursday confirmed that he will step down as Karnataka Chief Minister, ending days long suspense. The announcement was made during breakfast meeting held at his residence. 

The development came after 48 hours of intense behind-the-scenes meetings and consultations involving senior leaders of the Congress party in Delhi. During these discussions, the outgoing chief minister was reportedly offered a prominent exit package, including a Rajya Sabha seat, in an effort to persuade him to step down.

News of Siddaramaiah’s decision to step aside was met with celebration among supporters of Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. Many of them gathered outside his residence, cheering, distributing sweets, and marking what they saw as a major political victory.

The breakfast meeting itself featured traditional Kannada dishes such as masala dosa, idli, sambar, chutney, and kesaribath. It reportedly began on a symbolic note, with an embrace between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, followed by Shivakumar bending to touch Siddaramaiah’s feet in a gesture of respect—an image that stood out given their often tense political rivalry.

Tensions between the two leaders had reportedly intensified in November 2025, as Shivakumar’s supporters increased pressure on the Congress leadership to honour an alleged power-sharing arrangement believed to have been discussed after the 2023 election victory. This arrangement, though never officially confirmed by either leader or the party, was said to propose Siddaramaiah serving as Chief Minister for the first 2.5 years, followed by Shivakumar taking over for the remaining term.