‘Siddaramaiah to resign at 3 pm, DK Shivakumar will become CM’: Minister HK Patil

BENGALURU: Law Minister H K Patil on Thursday confirmed that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will resign at 3 pm  on Thursday and that Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar will take over as the next Chief Minister following a key breakfast meeting held in Bengaluru.

“Chief Minister will resign at 3 o’clock. CM Siddaramaiah said that we will make DK Shivakumar the new CM, he will become the CM”, H K Patil told reporters after the meeting at Siddaramaiah’s official residence ‘Cauvery’. There is also an indication that outgoing CM Siddaramiah may travel to Delhi to get a final nod on the picks for Deputy Chief Minister.

The crucial meeting came amid intense speculation over a leadership transition in the Karnataka Congress government, which recently completed three years in office. During the breakfast meeting, DK Shivakumar was seen touching the feet of Siddaramaiah in a gesture viewed as symbolic of the expected transition. The two leaders also shared a warm embrace in front of party leaders and ministers gathered at the residence.

Several senior ministers, including Priyank Kharge, KJ George, MB Patil, Ramalinga Reddy and HK Patil, attended the meeting amid tight security arrangements outside the venue.

Meanwhile, D K Suresh, former MP and brother of D K Shivakumar, arrived at Shivakumar’s residence in Bengaluru amid growing political activity and celebrations by supporters outside the house.

Supporters of Shivakumar celebrated outside his Bengaluru residence by distributing sweets in anticipation of him becoming the next Chief Minister. In Kalaburagi, members of the Indian Youth Congress performed a special puja at the Shri Sharana Basaveshwara Temple, demanding that Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge be appointed Deputy Chief Minister if Shivakumar takes over the top post.

The Congress leadership has repeatedly described reports of leadership change as speculation. However, political activity intensified after Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar recently met senior Congress leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, in New Delhi. (ANI)