Karnataka’s Political Era Ends — Siddaramaiah Quits, Shivakumar Steps Up

After months of behind-the-scenes battles and Delhi summits, Karnataka’s long-running power struggle finally found its conclusion over morning tea as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah formally announced his exit, paving the way for DK Shivakumar to claim the state’s top post.

A Breakfast That Changed Karnataka’s Political Landscape

It wasn’t a press conference. It wasn’t a dramatic floor test. It was breakfast and over eggs and idlis at his official Bengaluru residence ‘Kaveri’, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told his cabinet colleagues he was stepping down.

On Thursday, May 28, 2026, Siddaramaiah one of the most dominant OBC leaders in Indian politics confirmed what the political corridors of Delhi had been whispering for weeks. He would resign. DK Shivakumar would be Karnataka’s next Chief Minister. And the Congress party’s most prolonged leadership drama in recent memory was drawing to a close.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil, who attended the breakfast, left ‘Kaveri’ with a blunt confirmation “CM is going to Raj Bhavan. CM Siddaramaiah will make Shivakumar the new CM.”

The Road to Resignation Was Paved in Delhi

This moment didn’t arrive overnight. It came after months of speculation, secret meetings, solidarity breakfasts, and carefully worded public denials.

The tipping point came on Tuesday, May 26 when both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar were urgently summoned to Delhi. The Congress headquarters hosted back-to-back sessions with party heavyweights AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, General Secretary KC Venugopal, and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Surjewala. For hours, the two Karnataka titans sat in those rooms, knowing that when they walked out, only one of them would still be Chief Minister.

Siddaramaiah had always maintained one clear condition publicly he would step down only if Rahul Gandhi personally asked him to. Sources now confirm that is exactly what happened. Rahul Gandhi made the ask. Siddaramaiah, true to his word, agreed.

The Rotational Formula Finally Enforced

At the heart of this transition lies an old agreement one Congress had carefully avoided confirming publicly for three years. When Siddaramaiah took charge as CM after Congress’s emphatic 2023 Karnataka victory, a quiet understanding was reportedly brokered with Shivakumar he would step back, accept the Deputy CM role, and wait his turn. The formula? A leadership rotation after two-and-a-half years.

That deadline passed in November 2025. Shivakumar’s camp had been restless ever since. His supporters had grown louder and the party’s high command could no longer look away.

Congress leaders are learnt to have reminded Siddaramaiah directly of that unwritten promise. He had served his time. It was Shivakumar’s turn.

The Rajya Sabha Offer And Why Siddaramaiah Said No

To soften the blow, the Congress high command offered Siddaramaiah a Rajya Sabha seat a dignified central role in the party apparatus. It is the kind of offer that would appeal to most senior politicians looking for a graceful exit.

Siddaramaiah, sources say, is likely to decline it politely. He is scheduled to personally meet Rahul Gandhi after submitting his resignation reportedly to express gratitude for the years of trust and, quietly, to turn down the upper house offer. He has not publicly committed to the Rajya Sabha path, and those close to him suggest he prefers to stay relevant in Karnataka’s political theatre rather than shift to Delhi’s corridors.

Shivakumar’s Moment Years in the Making

For DK Shivakumar Karnataka Congress’s street-fighter and fundraiser-in-chief this is the culmination of a patient, sometimes painful, political journey.

Back in 2023, when Congress swept Karnataka, Shivakumar had expected the Chief Minister’s chair. He was persuaded some say pressured to accept the Deputy CM role instead. He did so, but without fully hiding his ambitions. Through the next three years, he walked a careful line publicly backing Siddaramaiah, privately signalling his own readiness.

Shivakumar is a prominent Vokkaliga leader and the Congress state unit chief. His ascension is expected to reshape the party’s outreach strategy in the Vokkaliga-dominant Old Mysuru belt a region that Congress is keen to consolidate ahead of the 2028 assembly elections.

His supporters greeted Thursday’s announcement with visible celebration.

The OBC Question : BJP Sharpens Its Attack

Not everyone is celebrating. The Siddaramaiah exit raises a politically loaded question one that the BJP is already lining up to exploit.

Siddaramaiah belongs to the Kuruba OBC community. He is the most powerful OBC mass leader Congress has in Karnataka the face of its AHINDA coalition which stands for minorities, backward classes, and Dalits. His removal in favour of Shivakumar, who comes from the upper-caste Vokkaliga community, puts Rahul Gandhi in an uncomfortable position.

Gandhi has made OBC representation the centrepiece of his national political message. He has repeatedly challenged the BJP in Parliament over the number of OBC Chief Ministers across its-ruled states. Now, having himself orchestrated the replacement of an OBC CM with an upper-caste successor, the BJP is wasting no time. It is already framing the move as a contradiction and a political gift.

What Happens Next

The official statement from the Chief Minister’s office confirmed Siddaramaiah was to visit Lok Bhavan at 2:30 pm on Thursday to submit his resignation. A press conference was scheduled at his other official residence ‘Krishna’ at 3:00 pm.

Cabinet Minister Ramalinga Reddy confirmed the timeline after the breakfast meeting “By 3:30 pm, he is going to resign. He has thanked all our ministers for our cooperation.”

The Congress Legislature Party meeting where Shivakumar’s name is expected to be formally proposed and endorsed is likely to follow the resignation. A swearing-in timeline is yet to be confirmed.

For Karnataka a state that elected Congress in 2023 with a thumping mandate this leadership change arrives mid-term. How Shivakumar governs, whether he can hold the coalition together, and what role Siddaramaiah plays in the months ahead these are the questions that will define Karnataka politics well into 2028.

The breakfast is over. The era has changed.