Siddaramaiah Meets Rahul Gandhi After Resigning As Karnataka CM

Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah met with Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Friday, a day after resigning as the Chief Minister of Karnataka. The meeting, held at Sonia Gandhi’s residence at 10 Janpath, is considered a significant political development regarding the future leadership structure in Karnataka and Siddaramaiah’s role within the Congress party.

Siddaramaiah was accompanied by his son, Yathindra, during the visit. According to party sources, Sonia Gandhi was not present for the meeting, and the discussions primarily took place between Siddaramaiah and Rahul Gandhi. Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala was also present during the hour-long interaction.

Sources indicate that Siddaramaiah expressed gratitude to Rahul Gandhi for the opportunity to serve Karnataka and informed him that he had resigned from his position as directed by the party leadership. He reportedly emphasized his desire to remain active in Karnataka politics and clarified that he is not interested in taking on a central role, despite suggestions from the Congress high command.

The discussions also included the formation of the new Karnataka government. Siddaramaiah is believed to have requested key positions for his loyalists and his son in the upcoming Cabinet, including the possibility of a deputy chief minister post.

Later in the day, Siddaramaiah met with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to discuss the political transition and his future role within the organization. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, who is expected to become the next Chief Minister of Karnataka, is likely to hold separate talks with Congress leader K. C. Venugopal regarding government formation.

Congress leaders have expressed confidence that the transition of power in Karnataka will proceed smoothly. Speaking to the media, Randeep Surjewala stated that there would be “no hurdle in the smooth transition of power” in the state.

The Congress Legislature Party is expected to meet on Saturday to formally elect the new leader. Siddaramaiah, a two-time chief minister, joined the Congress in 2006 after leaving the Janata Dal (Secular) and has been one of Karnataka’s most influential political figures.