This Karnataka political drama has really taken one big turn now,with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah tendering his resignation on May 28,2026 . And honestly,it does not feel like sudden move at all. This looks like pressure building inside Congress for long time.
Main tension was between Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar,who is anticipated to succeed him . Congress high command also seemed relieved after resignation,because now party is hoping transition to Shivakumar becomes smoother .
But this whole issue did not start today only. During Karnataka Assembly election campaign in April 2023,Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had announced that leader with majority support in Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting would become Chief Minister . That line later became centre of whole power fight.
Shivakumar worked strongly on consolidating Vokkaliga vote bank for Congress,while Siddaramaiah focused on mobilizing AHINDA community . Together,it gave Congress a huge win with 136 Assembly seats,but after victory,question of who gets top chair became messy.
Few things standing out clearly in this political fight:
- Tensions rose between Siddaramaiah and D.K. Shivakumar after Assembly victory.
- Shivakumar's appeal to Vokkaliga voters proved effective during campaign.
- Congress high command had to step in repeatedly as leadership dispute kept growing.
After elections,Siddaramaiah was sworn in as Chief Minister on May 20,2023 . Shivakumar accepted Deputy Chief Minister role,but claims of power-sharing agreement started coming out. Siddaramaiah denied those claims,and from there,it never really looked fully settled.
And tbh,this is where Congress made things more complicated for itself. Siddaramaiah's camp later pushed demand for Dalit leader to be made Chief Minister,which added another layer to already tense equation . So it was no longer just Siddaramaiah versus Shivakumar .
By April 2026,speculation around leadership change had become very loud,especially with Shivakumar's upcoming birthday getting attention . Then Congress MLA Iqbal Hussain suggested that Shivakumar might soon take over as Chief Minister,and that made whole discussion even more open.
Home Minister G. Parameshwara also publicly expressed support for possible leadership changes,while Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge stayed careful and did not confirm any decision . That cautious silence itself said enough,maybe.
Now Siddaramaiah has resigned,and Shivakumar looks closer to Chief Minister's chair . But inside party,old camps,old promises and old ambitions do not disappear in one day…
