Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Siddaramaiah is set for an eventful day in New Delhi on Friday, a day after he resigned as Karnataka Chief Minister. His deputy DK Shivakumar is widely expected to take over as the new Chief Minister, but whether Siddaramaiah himself remains in state politics or transitions to national politics is likely to dominate discussions within the Congress High Command.
Siddaramaiah was originally scheduled to meet Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday, just hours after stepping down as the state’s longest-serving CM. However, bad weather forced his chartered flight to divert to Jaipur, where he met former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot.
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The delay pushed his meeting with the Rae Bareli MP to 9 am on Friday.
MEETING WITH RAHUL GANDHI
The one-on-one meeting over breakfast is expected to centre on the party’s offer of a Rajya Sabha seat for Siddaramaiah, a move that would position the veteran leader as a popular OBC face for the Congress ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. The High Command is likely to make a last-ditch effort to change his mind on the matter.
Siddaramaiah, however, has made his position clear.
“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 told the media during his final press conference as CM.
After his meeting with Gandhi, Siddaramaiah is also expected to call on other senior Congress leaders before departing for Bengaluru.
Upon returning to the state capital, Siddaramaiah is expected to meet Governor Thawarchand Gehlot, who had earlier been unavailable due to a family emergency in Madhya Pradesh. As a result, Siddaramaiah had to hand over his resignation to the Governor’s Secretary.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
While Siddaramaiah meets the Congress leadership in Delhi and the Karnataka Governor on his return, attention will shift to the process of government formation in Bengaluru.
The Congress Legislature Party is likely to meet in the coming days to formally elect Shivakumar as its leader, following which he will call on the Governor and a swearing-in ceremony will be scheduled. The date and time of the event are yet to be finalised, with astrological timing expected to factor into the decision.
Siddaramaiah’s exit is expected to reshape politics in Karnataka, where balancing caste equations, managing factional ambitions, and maintaining governance momentum ahead of the 2028 Assembly elections will remain a critical challenge for the incoming government.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
