Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah Resigns, DK Shivakumar Set To Succeed

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah submitted his resignation on 28 May 2026 after the Congress high command directed him to step down. He handed his resignation letter to the Governor’s Special Secretary at Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru while the Governor, Thawar Chand Gehlot, was out of the state. The resignation was scheduled for 3 pm, and the party announced that Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar would be the next chief minister.

The decision triggered protests across Karnataka, with supporters of the Kuruba and AHINDA communities staging tyre‑burning rallies in Bengaluru, Shivamogga, Yadgir and Kalaburagi. Several demonstrators attempted to block Siddaramaiah’s vehicle, and one protester allegedly tried to ingest poison. At a breakfast meeting in the CM’s official residence, Shivakumar touched Siddaramaiah’s feet and embraced him, symbolising the planned leadership transition. Party leaders thanked Congress figures Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, and affirmed the government’s absolute majority of 135 + 1 seats. The governor’s absence was said not to affect the resignation process, and the Congress high command is preparing for the swearing‑in of Shivakumar while maintaining coalition balance through potential deputy appointments.