Farewell Breakfast? Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah To Meet Cabinet On May 28 Amid Buzz Over CM Change, What's Next For DKS?

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing political churn in Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is expected to step down from his post on Thursday, May 28, following a series of high-level deliberations with the Congress high command in New Delhi.

Sources close to his camp reveal that the party high command has directed the veteran leader to make a graceful exit.

Sources indicate that the veteran leader will host a final breakfast meeting for his cabinet ministers on Thursday morning. Following this, he is expected to head to the Governor’s office to formally tender his resignation.

Siddaramaiah-DKS breakfast

Amid the dramatic reset, Siddaramaiah is also set to hold a key breakfast meeting with Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar at the Chief Minister's official residence 'Kaveri' in Bengaluru at 9 am on Thursday, amid continuing speculation surrounding a possible leadership change in the Karnataka Congress.

According to a written schedule issued by Shivakumar’s Additional Private Secretary, B.S. Sridhar, the Deputy CM will depart from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport at 5:45 A.M., landing in Bengaluru at 8:30 A.M.

Afterwards, he would meet Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for a breakfast meeting at 9 A.M. at Kaveri.

End of a Chapter?

The decision regarding possible leadership change in Karnataka Congress comes after marathon meetings in the national capital, where Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar held extensive discussions with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and other senior party leaders.

The long-standing power struggle over Karnataka's top post appears to have reached a definitive conclusion, with the Congress central leadership unanimously backing Shivakumar’s claim. Though Siddaramaiah has been offered a seat in the upper house of Parliament to take on larger national responsibilities, sources state he has requested 3 days to make a final decision on the move.

The Chief Minister has already held discussions with his core group of loyalists regarding the development. According to reports, he declared during the meeting that he will "abide by the decisions of the high command," adding that his formal resignation could come as early as tomorrow.

Officially, the party maintained that the discussions were strictly centered around the upcoming elections for three Rajya Sabha seats in the state, actively warning the media against spreading unverified rumors.

Following the lengthy session, party General Secretary KC Venugopal dismissed reports of a leadership change in a brief, one-minute press briefing. "Discussions were held regarding the Rajya Sabha and MLC elections. There is no truth to any other speculation," Venugopal stated.

A Year-Long Power Struggle

The leadership friction in Karnataka has been simmering for over a year. Supporters of Shivakumar have consistently maintained that the central leadership promised a rotating Chief Minister arrangement when the party took power after the 2023 assembly elections.

Shivakumar, widely regarded as one of the party’s most influential figures in the state, was a primary contender for the top job last year. Insiders note that he agreed to serve as Siddaramaiah's deputy only after receiving explicit assurances that he would take over the reins after two and a half years.

The upcoming breakfast meeting between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar is now being closely watched in Karnataka political circles for any indication of coordination or internal discussions within the state leadership.

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