Will Siddaramaiah Resign Today? Karnataka Congress On Edge Ahead Of Crucial Breakfast Meet, Governor Buzz Intensifies

Karnataka: Speculation over an upcoming leadership change in Karnataka escalated on Wednesday as a series of back-to-back political meetings, internal conversations, and statements from Congress leaders fuelled talk of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stepping down. 

Even though the Congress has maintained that no formal decision has been made, all eyes are now on Thursday's high-profile breakfast meeting called by Siddaramaiah at his official residence, 'Kaveri' in Bengaluru. Cabinet ministers, MLAs, and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar are all slated to attend the meeting, which begins at 9 AM. 

According to insiders, Siddaramaiah may submit his resignation to the Governor later in the day, perhaps allowing Shivakumar to take over the government. However, the party has yet to publicly announce any official leadership shift.

Ministers, MLAs Rally Behind Siddaramaiah

Amid the mounting buzz, key ministers and loyal Congress members reportedly convened at Siddaramaiah's home to encourage him not to resign. According to sources, numerous ministers and MLAs advocated for a coordinated show of strength inside the legislative party.

According to reports, leaders advised gathering signatures from MLAs and sending a formal letter to the party's high command expressing support for Siddaramaiah's leadership. Some have reportedly urged that when party observers and senior leaders arrive in Karnataka, MLAs openly and vocally declare their support for the Chief Minister in order to show unity within the party.

According to sources, Siddaramaiah remained mainly noncommittal during the conversations, telling those in attendance that he would react to their proposals the next day.

Political uncertainty grew as Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar traveled to New Delhi on Tuesday to meet with the Congress' top leadership. According to reports, the Congress leadership urged Siddaramaiah to announce his decision to resign down to Congress national secretary KC Venugopal.

Rajya Sabha Offer, National Role Talks Surface

During the high-level meeting in Delhi, Siddaramaiah was reportedly promised a Rajya Sabha seat. Earlier, senior leader Rahul Gandhi urged that the Karnataka leader consider going to the upper house.

According to media sources, the party has proposed giving Siddaramaiah a national role leading up to the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. According to insiders, Siddaramaiah informed the leadership that he is currently hesitant to enter national politics and would like more time before making a decision.

The developments come at a critical moment, with Rajya Sabha elections set for June 8. Political observers are now eagerly watching whether Siddaramaiah will quit on Thursday.

Delhi Meetings Add To Political Heat

On Wednesday, Randeep Singh Surjewala, the AICC Karnataka in-charge, met with Siddaramaiah at the Chief Minister's official residence in Bangalore. According to sources, the one-on-one meeting lasted around an hour. Before returning to Bengaluru, Shivakumar met with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi on Wednesday.

Congress Chief Whip Ashok Pattan further fuelled speculation by saying, “I think that the Chief Minister might resign after 3:00 PM Thursday. We have not been formally intimated about a CLP (Congress Legislature Party) meeting yet, but all these developments have happened quite unexpectedly."

Meanwhile, sources claimed Rahul Gandhi has conveyed a clear blueprint for the upcoming cabinet reshuffle and administrative overhaul. According to sources, the Congress leadership wants to place a greater emphasis on merit, youth, and new faces, while ensuring representation for all castes, Dalits, and OBCs. 

According to sources, the high command is considering dismissing underperforming ministers. State Minister Priyank Kharge stated that the high command's decision will be final. “High command will decide. Surjewala ji is here, and whatever he says is what the High Command intends. It does not matter what anybody else has to say," Kharge stated.

Adding to the speculation, Siddaramaiah’s legal advisor AS Ponnanna admitted that changes could be on the horizon. “There are some changes on the cards. We cannot deny it or shut our eyes to that. But as to what exactly transpires and the true nature of the change, we will have to wait and watch," he said.

Congress Urges Media Not To Speculate

Despite the growing political excitement and joy among some party members, Congress authorities continued to openly deny any formal decision had been made. Surjewala advised the media and the people to avoid jumping to conclusions.

“I fold my hands and request everyone… please do not speculate. I want to assure the people of Karnataka that any decision taken will be in the best interest of the state and fair to the individuals involved. Currently, no formal CLP meeting has been called," Surjewala said.

Karnataka Minister Satish Jarkiholi also indicated that clarity would emerge only after Thursday morning’s meeting at the CM’s residence.

“We will have to wait for the breakfast meeting on Thursday to know everything," Jarkiholi said.

For the time being, the Congress has officially said that the recent meetings were about the approaching Rajya Sabha elections in Karnataka. However, with closed-door meetings, resignation chatter, and heavy lobbying within the party, political attention is firmly focused on whether Siddaramaiah will eventually stand down later today.

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