Signing you in

The most revealing moment of Karnataka’s leadership transition on Thursday unfolded not at Raj Bhavan or outside the Congress Legislature Party office, but over breakfast inside the chief minister’s residence, where Siddaramaiah gathered senior ministers to personally explain the end of his tenure and urge them to rally behind D K Shivakumar.

Hugs, call for unity at CM’s breakfast meet with minsBy the time ministers began arriving at Cauvery, Siddaramaiah’s official residence in Bengaluru, the decision had already travelled through party channels in New Delhi. But several leaders present at the closed door meeting said the chief minister chose to address colleagues himself, speaking at length about the discussions with the Congress high command and the need for unity during the transfer of power.

Among those present were Priyank Kharge, KJ George, MB Patil, Ramalinga Reddy, H K Patil and Shivakumar, who entered the residence shortly before the meeting began.

Shivakumar embraced Siddaramaiah shortly after arriving and later bent to touch his feet before entering the residence. Photographs released later by the chief minister’s office showed Siddaramaiah hugging Shivakumar after the meeting concluded.

According to ministers who attended the gathering, Siddaramaiah informed colleagues that Shivakumar had been selected to take charge as the next chief minister and that the formal transition would follow after a Congress Legislature Party meeting.

Parliamentary affairs minister HK Patil later summarised the message delivered inside the room. “Siddaramaiah said we will make DK Shivakumar the new CM,” he told reporters outside the residence.

The atmosphere inside the meeting, ministers said, was unusually restrained for a transition that had dominated Karnataka politics for months. Rather than presenting the change as a contest settled in one faction’s favour, Siddaramaiah repeatedly framed it as a collective decision that required discipline and cooperation from the party.

Health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said Siddaramaiah spoke “gracefully and emotionally” while recounting his recent meetings with Congress leaders in New Delhi. “He conveyed what had happened in New Delhi, that there is going to be a change of guard here. It shows his maturity and clarity,” Rao said.

“In politics, when such situations happen, leaders tend to change the way they speak and become selfish, but Siddaramaiah showed what a great leader he is,” he added.

According to Rao, Siddaramaiah also told ministers that he intended to remain active in Karnataka politics after leaving office. “He said he will continue as an MLA for the next two years and he will be at the forefront of all political activities,” Rao said.

Rao said the outgoing chief minister also tried to ease concerns about divisions within the party after the transition. “He was clear and told us what the high command has said. That we are together and we will work together. He said there is no animosity or any hurt. Opposing the rule of BJP is the challenge ahead of us,” Rao said.

Shivakumar also addressed the gathering, according to ministers present. Rao said the deputy chief minister stressed that the Congress could not approach the next Assembly election without Siddaramaiah remaining central to the party’s campaign and organisation.

“DK Shivakumar also spoke and said Siddaramaiah is our leader and if we have to win the 2028 election, we will not be able to win without him,” Rao said.

Senior minister Ramalinga Reddy said Siddaramaiah thanked Cabinet colleagues for their support before informing them of the next steps in the transition process. “In the meeting, he said he is going to resign and he said he will go to meet the Governor,” Reddy said. He added that the Congress Legislature Party meeting could take place “in two to three days”.

When ministers began leaving Cauvery, minister Santosh Lad appeared tearful while speaking to reporters outside the residence as party leaders dispersed from the meeting that formally closed Siddaramaiah’s tenure as the head of the Karnataka government.

Arun Dev is an Assistant Editor with the Karnataka bureau of Hindustan Times. A journalist for over 10 years, he has written extensively on crime and politics.