Siddaramaiah May Step Down As Karnataka CM on May 28, Says Veteran Congress Leader RV Deshpande (Watch Video)
Speculation over a possible leadership change in Karnataka intensified on Wednesday after senior Congress leader R.V. Deshpande claimed that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah could resign from his post on Thursday. The remarks came amid growing indications of a power-sharing transition within the ruling Congress party involving Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.
New Delhi, May 27: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is likely to step down from his position on Thursday, thereby marking an end to his stint with the post and also bringing curtains down on an unending power tussle in the state. Veteran Congress leader and nine-time MLA RV Deshpande gave a near-confirmation of Siddaramaiah’s exit during an interaction with the media persons on Wednesday. “This may happen tomorrow or the day after tomorrow,” he said, when newsmen asked him about the likely change of guard in the state.
He also said that the news of Siddaramaiah paving the way for the rival camp came as a surprise to many like him, but the matter has been deliberated upon and decided by the Congress high command. Rahul Gandhi-Siddaramaiah Meeting Ends With Possibility of Change of Guard in Karnataka, Final Decision After Second Round of Talks, Say Congress Sources.
Congress Leader RV Deshpande Speaks on Speculation Around CM Post in Karnataka
Bengaluru, Karnataka: On speculation around the CM post in Karnataka, Congress leader R. V. Deshpande says, “The high command will have to decide. The high command has not decided yet. The high command will decide. Whatever the high command decides, we have to agree.” pic.twitter.com/NJtMTAKJvQ
— IANS (@ians_india) May 27, 2026
“We tried to persuade him and urged him to continue as the Chief Minister, but that seems unlikely now, as he seems to have made up his mind,” Deshpande said. The disclosures by Deshpande come ahead of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s crucial breakfast meeting with his cabinet colleague on Thursday morning. It is after this breakfast meeting that the CM is likely to announce the power transition.
Siddaramaiah was also questioned by the newsmen about leadership change, as he paid homage to former PM Jawahar Lal Nehru at Vidhana Soudha on Wednesday. He refused to divulge details and replied in a one-liner, “I will speak tomorrow.” ‘Insult to People of India’: Rahul Gandhi Slams PM Narendra Modi’s ‘Melody’ Reel With Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, Warns of ‘Economic Storm’ (Watch Video).
Notably, the open rivalry between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar camps has played out for a while now as the latter insisted on 2.5 years power-sharing formula, as purportedly agreed during government formation in the state. This time, the fight reached the Congress high command in Delhi and the latter was 'forced' to take a call after dithering over the issue for a while.
According to reports, the Congress high command has given the go-ahead to Shivakumar’s elevation as the next Chief Minister, and the deliberations are still on in Delhi over the selection of cabinet ministers.
RV Deshpande, while speaking to newsmen, didn’t specify the next Chief Minister but emphasised that it’s the Congress high command that will decide the power transition in the state. When asked whether he would find a berth in the next cabinet, he said he wasn’t sure of it.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 27, 2026 07:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
