“Until My Last Breath, I Will Fight Against Communal Forces”: Siddaramaiah Resigns, Paves Way For DKS
Bengaluru: In a dramatic and emotionally charged day for Karnataka politics, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has tendered his resignation, bringing an end to his historic tenure and clearing the decks for his deputy, D.K. Shivakumar, to assume the state’s top political office.
The veteran Congress leader submitted his resignation letter to the Special Secretary to the Karnataka Governor at the Raj Bhavan, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. The formal acceptance of the resignation is expected tonight upon the return of Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, who is currently out of the state.
The announcement triggered emotional scenes across the capital. Hundreds of teary-eyed party workers and loyalists from Siddaramaiah’s Varuna Assembly constituency rushed to his official residence, ‘Kaveri’, after learning of his decision to step down. Visibly moved by the massive outpouring of support, the outgoing Chief Minister became emotional while addressing the crowd and reflecting on his tenure.
Speaking to reporters, Congress MLA Ajay Singh confirmed that the resignation followed a direct request from the party’s central leadership in New Delhi.
“One of the longest-serving chief ministers of Karnataka… Mr Siddaramaiah has tendered his resignation. It is a sad day for all legislators,” Singh said. He noted that Siddaramaiah had always maintained he would step down the moment the high command asked. “Congress President and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi told him that he has to resign to make way for a new Chief Minister. Without batting an eyelid, he resigned.”
While the high command and the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) are set to formally announce the next Chief Minister, sources confirm the transition paves the way for D.K. Shivakumar (DKS) to take the helm.
Siddaramaiah revealed that the party’s top brass had offered him a seat in the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of India’s Parliament), which he politely declined. “I have no interest in national politics,” he stated. “I will remain in state politics, as I still have two years left to serve as an MLA.”
Delivering a fierce parting shot directed at his political rivals, Siddaramaiah struck a defiant tone regarding his future: “Until my last breath, I will fight against communal forces,” he declared. “I believe in the Constitution. If not for the Constitution, I wouldn’t have been literate, become a politician, or even Chief Minister. I will fight against those who oppose the Constitution. I will fight for people’s rights.”
In a calculated final political move just hours before stepping down, Siddaramaiah formally accepted Karnataka’s long-delayed and highly controversial caste census report at the Vidhana Soudha.
The comprehensive socio-educational survey, which covered 59 million people and cost approximately £63.5 million (₹635 crore), had been stalled for years. It faced stiff resistance from various quarters, including from within his own cabinet by leaders like D.K. Shivakumar, who belongs to the politically powerful Vokkaliga community.
The report is seen as central to Siddaramaiah’s legacy as a champion of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs). Leaked figures from the survey suggest a seismic shift in the state’s demographic power dynamics, indicating that the traditionally dominant Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities may no longer hold numerical supremacy. Instead, the data reportedly places Scheduled Castes (SCs) as the largest group at 10.9 million, followed by Muslims at 7.7 million, pushing the Lingayats (6.63 million) and Vokkaligas (6.16 million) down the ladder.
By officially receiving this report on his final day in office, Siddaramaiah has not only secured his legacy among marginalised groups but has also handed the Congress party a potent political tool ahead of its national push for a nationwide caste census.
