Karnataka CM News Live: Siddaramaiah-Rahul Gandhi meet postponed to tomorrow after flight diversion

Outgoing Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah met former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot after his flight was diverted to Jaipur due to bad weather.

Siddaramaiah resigned as Karnataka Chief Minister, clearing the way for DK Shivakumar. The handover follows a long power struggle and leaves the Congress managing caste and factional pressures. Read more here.

The meeting between Rahul Gandhi and Siddaramaiah will now be held tomorrow at 9 am, after the Karnataka CM's flight got diverted to Jaipur due to bad weather.

(Inputs from Rahul Gautam)

A special flight carrying Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was diverted to Jaipur on Thursday due to adverse weather conditions while en route to Delhi. Also on board were Congress state in-charge and AICC General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, Ministers K.J. George and Byrathi Suresh, legal advisor Ponnanna, Legislative Council member Dr Yathindra and AICC Secretary Abhishek Dutt.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar leaves for the airport from his residence in Bengaluru.

(ANI)

Outgoing Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah will meet the Governor tomorrow, say sources

(Inputs from Nagarjun Dwarakanath)

Addressing a packed press conference at his residential office – Krishna – shortly after submitting his resignation to the Governor's Special Secretary at Lok Bhavan, outgoing CM Siddaramaiah said he would stay grounded in state politics.

"I will remain in state politics. The people have elected me for five years, and two years are still left. Till then, I will work for the people of Karnataka and for the people of my constituency," he added. Asked about his future journey in politics, the Congress leader said he will continue to be active in politics and fight against communal forces.

The Congress leadership faces a significant challenge in convincing Siddaramaiah to accept a Rajya Sabha seat and shift to Delhi, amid his expected visit to the national capital. While he has stepped down as Chief Minister as per the party high command’s direction, sources say there is limited scope for pressure, given his strong political standing in Karnataka and reluctance to shift base.

During his Delhi visit, Siddaramaiah is likely to meet Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi at 10 Janpath, with state in-charge Randeep Surjewala also accompanying him. The party is expected to discuss his future role, including a possible Rajya Sabha nomination and a larger organisational responsibility at the national level, positioning him as a key OBC face ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

Siddaramaiah has left for New Delhi to meet Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, after resigning as the longest-serving CM of Karnataka.

For a man rooted in 'Janata Parivar' for over two decades and known for a strident anti-Congress stance in the past, it has been a remarkable turnaround for Siddaramaiah, who managed to consolidate his position in the Grand Old Party and went on to become the longest-serving Chief Minister of Karnataka. The 77-year-old senior Congress leader, who made no secret of his ambition to complete his tenure as chief minister and to sign off on a "high," was asked to resign two years ahead of the end of his term by the Congress high command to make way for a leadership change in the state.

While Siddaramaiah has rejected a Rajya Sabha seat and a move to national politics, India Today had earlier reported that during his 50-minute meeting with Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday, Siddaramaiah was offered a Rajya Sabha berth from Karnataka. Sources had added that the Congress leadership was trying to convince Siddaramaiah to take up a more prominent organisational role at the national level, projecting him as one of the party’s tallest OBC faces across the country.

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, who tendered his resignation from the CM post today, returns to his residence after submitting his resignation at Lok Bhavan and addressing the media.

(ANI)

"Born and raised in a village, I never even dreamed that one day I would become the ruler, minister, leader of the opposition, and twice the Chief Minister of this state. The fulfillment of such a grand dream is thanks to Babasaheb Ambedkar's Constitution," writes outgoing Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on X.

Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar leaves Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's office.

(ANI)

Outgoing Karnataka CM Siddaramiah will be taking off for New Delhi at 4:30 pm via a charted flight.

Siddaramaiah on Thursday finally confirmed his resignation as Karnataka Chief Minister after a breakfast meeting with Cabinet ministers in Bengaluru. Even as he steps down, Siddaramaiah appears determined to ensure that his exit is not politically quiet. In fact, he has activated a time bomb, which will be ticking for his successor, DK Shivakumar, and the Congress's de facto chief, Rahul Gandhi. Read more here.

Siddaramaiah said he would continue to remain active in Karnataka politics and had no interest in taking up a national role, revealing that he declined a Rajya Sabha offer made by the Congress high command after his resignation. Read more here.

"I have no interest in national politics. I have two years as an MLA. I’ll work for Karnataka," says Siddaramaiah as he quit as the Karnataka CM.

Siddaramaiah said the Congress high command had offered him a Rajya Sabha seat after his resignation, but he chose to decline it.

“High command has offered me an Rajya Sabha seat. I said no to it,” Siddaramaiah told reporters while addressing a press conference in Bengaluru after stepping down from the chief minister’s post.