Drawing the curtains on an illustrious political career spanning nearly five decades, Karnataka’s Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is learnt to have informed his Cabinet colleagues of his decision to resign from the post during the breakfast that he hosted at his official residence in Bengaluru on May 28. This was confirmed by Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao who attended the breakfast meeting hosted by the Chief Minister.
Mr. Siddaramaiah is set to visit the Governor’s office Lok Bhavan at 2.30 p.m. He will address a press conference thereafter at 3 p.m., said the CMO.
While sharing his decision to step down, the Chief Minister informed the Cabinet that he had been asked to do so by the Congress High Command. Mr. Siddaramaiah is learnt to have spoken about the achievements and challenges in his second term, and thanked the Ministers for their cooperation.
Congress sources also indicated that the Congress Legislative Party meeting, where the likely successor of Mr. Siddaramaiah could be named or elected, is likely to be held on Friday (May 29, 2026).
Political careers rarely follow a linear trajectory, and Siddaramaiah’s nearly five-decade-long public life has been marked by dramatic turns and political reinventions, culminating in his surpassing D. Devaraj Urs as Karnataka’s longest-serving Chief Minister.
A central figure in Karnataka politics since the mid-1980s, Siddaramaiah announced his resignation from the post of Chief Minister on May 28, 2026. Over the decades, he navigated the State’s complex political landscape through carefully crafted social alliances and a governance model centred on welfare and inclusivity.
Read Nagesh Prabhu’s profile of the AHINDA leader.
Siddaramaiah announces resignation from Karnataka CM post: Know more about the Congress leader's long political history
Police personnel conduct security checks outside Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru on May 28, 2026
Amid the political developments, Bengaluru police have beefed up security and deployed over 1,000 police personnel across multiple locations.
As speculation grows, the police have increased security at Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s residence in Sadashivanagar, anticipating crowd gatherings.
Along with officers from the Vidhana Soudha police station, over 100 police personnel have been deputed at Raj Bhavan.
Over 200 police officers have been deployed at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s residences, Krishna and Cauvery.
Minutes after the breakfast meeting with outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H. K. Patil said, “Mr. Siddaramaiah will resign at 3:00 pm and he told the meeting that we should all make D.K. Shivakumar the new chief minister.”
Another minister part of the breakfast meeting told The Hindu that he announced that he would be resigning as chief minister later in the day and announced that Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President D. K. Shivakumar would succeed him. “He said he was resigning after the party high command asked him to make way for new leadership and also announced that the leadership had decided Mr. Shivakumar would succeed him,” the minister told The Hindu. He further said that Mr. Siddaramaiah was poised and graceful in the meeting.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said Mr. Siddaramaiah may resign as the Chief Minister but said he would continue to work for the party as its tall leader. Labour Minister Santosh Lad broke down while speaking to media persons after the breakfast meeting.
- Aditya Bharadwaj reports
After Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s breakfast meeting, Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said that CM is likely to resign at 3.30 p.m. He said he has thanked all ministers for their cooperation in the meeting and will submit his resignation to the Governor.
Drawing the curtains on an illustrious political career spanning nearly five decades, Karnataka’s Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is learnt to have informed his Cabinet colleagues of his decision to resign from the post during the breakfast that he hosted at his official residence in Bengaluru on May 28.
This was confirmed by Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao who attended the breakfast meeting hosted by the Chief Minister.
Besides a full five-year term between 2013-18, the veteran Congress leader recently completed three years in office in his second term on May 20.
Click here to read Sharath Srivatsa’s report about everything that transpired at the CM’s breakfast meeting.
Amid confirmation of a change in leadership in Karnataka, the State Congress unit posted images of bonhomie between CM Siddaramaiah and DCM D.K. Shivakumar captured during the breakfast meeting on May 28, 2026.
The post on X read:
Then, now, forever
Unity is our strength!
Our eternal commitment to public service!
Explore the decline of socialist politics in India through the careers of Siddaramaiah and Nitish Kumar as they exit leadership.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah informed his cabinet colleagues of his decision to step down, during a breakfast hosted at his residence, official sources said on May 28.
His current deputy and possible successor, D.K. Shivakumar and other cabinet colleagues attended the breakfast meeting.
In a picture shared by the Chief Minister’s Office, Siddaramaiah is seen hugging an emotional Shivakumar. In another picture, CM hopeful Shivakumar is seen touching the feet of Siddaramaiah and taking his blessings.
The supporters of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar gathered outside his residence and distributed sweets and raised slogans in his support in early celebrations as the state braced for an imminent transition in leadership within the party.
The supporters expressed high hopes for Mr. Shivakumar becoming the CM of the state.
“Heartiest congratulations to D.K. Shivakumar, as well as all Congress leaders in Karnataka. This is a good day. DK Shivakumar is the CM 100%,” a supporter said.
Another supporter said that Shivakumar has “sacrificed his life for Congress.”
As Karnataka braces for a leadership change, Home Minister G. Parameshwara claimed that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had convened a ‘breakfast meeting’ with party leaders to express his gratitude for their cooperation ahead of an expected resignation.
“The Chief Minister has called all the ministers for breakfast, and before he resigns, he wants to thank all the ministers for their cooperation,” Parameshwara stated.
As per reports, Siddarmaiah is likely to announce his resignation as CM post the breakfast meeting with D.K. Shivakumar tipped to take over. Notably, there has been no official communication regarding any potential resignation yet.
Amid strong speculations that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will tender his resignation to pave the way for the Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to take over the reins of Karnataka, Lok Bhavan officials said today that the former has not yet sought time to meet Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot.
This comes a day after top sources in the Chief Minister’s office on Wednesday said Siddaramaiah has sought time to meet Mr. Gehlot today.
Lok Bhavan officials said that Mr. Gehlot is in his hometown, Indore, in Madhya Pradesh.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is widely expected to step down, hosted a breakfast for his cabinet colleagues at his official residence in Bengaluru today.
His current deputy and possible successor, D.K. Shivakumar, and other cabinet colleagues attended the breakfast meeting.
In a picture shared by the Chief Minister’s Office, Mr. Siddaramaiah is seen hugging Mr. Shivakumar. In another picture, CM hopeful Mr. Shivakumar is seen touching the feet of Mr. Siddaramaiah and taking his blessings.
Several Cabinet Ministers have started arriving at the residence of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah this morning to take part in the breakfast meeting, likely to start shortly.
The Chief Minister has invited his Cabinet colleagues for a breakfast meeting where he is expected to spell out his future course of action. Mr. Siddaramaiah is learnt to have been asked to pave the way for leadership while the Congress leadership has offered him a Rajya Sabha seat.
The Rajya Sabha election to fill four seats is scheduled for June 18. Congress is expected to win three and the BJP one seat. Among those retiring is Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.
The Deputy Chief Minister D.K.Shivakumar is expected to arrive shortly. Among those who have already arrived are Santhosh Lad, Priyank Kharge, and Byrathi Suresh.
Sharath Shrivatsa reports
Amid growing political speculation regarding the Karnataka Chief Minister’s post, supporters of Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar gathered outside his Bengaluru residence early today.
This comes as CM Siddaramaiah has called a ‘breakfast meeting’ with Congress party leaders today. Notably, former Bengaluru Mayor R. Sampath Raj was among those seen arriving at the residence.
Speculation around leadership change in the Karnataka Congress has been brewing since the government completed its two-and-a-half years of tenure last year. The Congress government in the state has now completed three years.
Both Mr. Siddaramaiah and Mr. Shivakumar were in the national capital on Tuesday and took part in a meeting with Congress’s central leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi.
In a twist to the Congress’s proposed leadership change, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot has gone to Indore for personal reasons. Lok Bhavan sources said that the Governor left Bengaluru late on Wednesday night.
He is likely to return to Bengaluru today, but the time is not known. Sources said that he would be back in time to be with the Vice President of India, who is arriving in Karnataka on Friday.
In the light of speculation over leadership change hereafter, the Congress high command is learnt to have asked Mr. Siddaramaiah to pave the way for a new leadership.
Sources said that a resignation of the Chief Minister has to be accepted by the Governor personally. “Even if the resignation is submitted to the special secretary, the Governor has to meet the Chief Minister before accepting it.”
Sharath Srivatsa reports
Karnataka politics seems to be undergoing a churn with leadership tussles in two national parties emerging prominently in public discourse. If the tussle in the ruling Congress over the last few months has taken the focus away from governance issues to the so-called “secret understanding” over the sharing of power, the fractured State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is losing out on opportunities to corner the Congress both on governance and political issues.
As political developments gather steam in Karnataka, read this analysis by Sharath S. Srivatsa, on how leadership issues plague the two major parties in Karnataka
Leadership change in Karnataka appears imminent, after it emerged on Tuesday (May 26, 2026) that the Congress high command has offered Chief Minister Siddaramaiah a seat in the Rajya Sabha as a candidate in the forthcoming elections.
Whether or not Mr. Siddaramaiah agrees to be a candidate for the June 18 Rajya Sabha polls, sources close to him indicated that he is likely to announce his decision on May 28. His deputy D.K. Shivakumar has been an aspirant for the State’s top post ever since the Congress government reached its half-year-mark in November 2025. However, Mr. Siddaramaiah need not resign immediately, sources said.
The Congress high command reportedly nudges Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah towards Rajya Sabha candidacy amid speculation of leadership change.
A change of guard in the three-year-old Karnataka government seems imminent, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah seeking the Governor’s appointment, a day after he was apparently asked by the party high command to make way for his deputy D.K. Shivakumar’s elevation to the top post, but said he will speak on the matter today.
As the political heat rises in the southern state in anticipation of a new CM, AICC General Secretary in charge of Karnataka, Randeep Singh Surjewala, clarified that the Congress has not called for a meeting of its legislature party in the state and that no other decision has been taken yet.
He requested the media not to speculate on the issue. Mr. Surjewala, who arrived in Bengaluru on Wednesday, also met Siddaramaiah and other senior leaders.
Amid fast-paced developments in Karnataka, all eyes are now on the breakfast meeting on May 28 being hosted by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who has been asked by the Congress high command to move to the Rajya Sabha, thus paving the way for a leadership change.
On the list of invitees are his Cabinet colleagues, including his deputy D.K. Shivakumar, who has been a contender for the top post ever since the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year-tenure in November 2025. The breakfast meeting is at the Chief Minister’s official residence in Bengaluru at 9 a.m.
In his first interaction with the media after his New Delhi visit, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, refused to entertain pointed questions on leadership change in the State. In a one-liner, he said on Wednesday (May 27, 2026), “I will speak tomorrow.” He is to hold a breakfast meeting with his Cabinet colleagues on Thursday (May 28) after which he is expected to announce his decision.
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah hints at a leadership announcement tomorrow amid speculations of a power transition within the Congress party.
BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra has asserted that Karnataka is headed for mid-term elections, regardless of who succeeds Siddaramaiah as Chief Minister in the ongoing Congress power struggle.
Speaking to the media in Shivamogga on Wednesday (May 27), Mr. Vijayendra said the Congress high command’s marathon meeting in Delhi, which culminated in a directive to Mr. Siddaramaiah to step down, was itself an admission of the government’s failure.
Published - May 28, 2026 06:15 am IST
Karnataka / Indian National Congress / state politics / Live news / Bengaluru / Rajya Sabha
Source: The Hindu - India News
