After months of rumours, speculations, and lobbying, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah finally resigned from his post. Deputy CM DK Shivakumar is likely to become the next Congress CM in the state for the next 2 years till the next elections in 2028.
Siddaramaiah said that the Congress high command told him to step down. However, he said that he would remain actively involved in state politics and he has declined the Congress high command’s offer of a Rajya Sabha seat.
“I will continue in active politics in Karnataka. Have no interest in national role,” Siddaramaiah said.
Congress may have finally managed to resolve the leadership tussle in the state after months of uncertainty, but is this resolution now going to create more problems for the party in the coming days?
The attempt to move Siddaramaiah to the centre by giving him a Rajya Sabha seat looks sound on paper. It would have ensured that DK Shivakumar won’t have to function with Siddaramaiah’s shadow looming over him in the state assembly. The ‘two power centres’ in the state would have also been answered with the outgoing CM moving to Delhi. However, Siddaramaiah declining this proposal has now potentially created a headache for Congress party.
With several MLAs still loyal to Siddaramaiah, and with him carrying on as an MLA after resigning as CM, one wonders whether there will continue to be friction between the two factions of the party when it comes to major decisions that the government will have to take.
Will the presence of Siddaramaiah aid DK Shivakumar, as he can lean on him and his experience as CM for advice, or will the factionalism in the party continue to exist causing friction.
Notably, protests alresdy erupted in Yadgir in Karnataka where Siddaramaiah’s loyalists took to the streets, raising slogans against the Congress High Command. They were protesting over the forced exit of Siddaramaiah from the CM office. If more such protests take place, and if Siddaramaiah camp MLAs start making dissenting noises, it will be an unnecessary distraction for the next CM. It could have been a lot smoother if Siddaramaiah had moved to a national role. However, for now, with him staying in the state, it will be interesting to see how Congress government functions in the state over the next 2 years.
