Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah made several important remarks while announcing his resignation at a press conference. He stated that he had submitted his resignation and was hopeful that it would be accepted upon the Governor’s return. Siddaramaiah clarified that he had previously stated that he would step down as soon as the party high command gave instructions. He said, “Two days ago, the high command asked me to resign, so I submitted my resignation today.” Siddaramaiah also announced that D.K. Shivakumar would now be the Chief Minister of the state.
He stated that choosing the next leader after the Chief Minister’s resignation is a constitutional process, and it is the Governor’s duty to give the new leader the opportunity. He expressed confidence that the Congress has the support of 135+ MLAs and two independents, making the government completely stable. He emphasized that the Constitution is our religion and we believe in it.
Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah, recounting his long political journey, said that he has completed 50 years in politics. Confirming media reports, he said that the high command had asked him to enter the Rajya Sabha, but he declined. He clarified that he is not interested in national politics and will remain active as an MLA in Karnataka.
Expressing gratitude to the public, Siddaramaiah said, “The 70 million Kannadigas who gave me this opportunity are my God.” He added that he received the full support of the party leadership—Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Mallikarjun Kharge—and he is grateful for that.
During the press conference, Siddaramaiah became emotional. He said that he came from a humble village and never imagined becoming an MLA, minister, leader of the opposition, and two-time Chief Minister. He said, “I came into politics by chance; no one in my family was in politics.”
He said that since entering politics, he has been inspired by the ideologies of Basavanna, Gandhi, Ambedkar, and Buddha and has always worked for social justice and equality.
Referring to his tenure, Siddaramaiah said that out of 160 promises made during 2013-2018, 158 were fulfilled. Five guarantee schemes announced after the formation of the government after 2023 were implemented in the first year itself. He said that we fulfilled our promises, which has given me and the party satisfaction.