Why Siddaramaiah had to go now and why Shivakumar’s moment finally arrived

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah resigned on Thursday after Rahul Gandhi asked him to step down, paving the way for D K Shivakumar to become the state’s new leader. The decision followed a 2023 agreement between the two, where Siddaramaiah became CM and Shivakumar served as Deputy CM, with the understanding that the roles would rotate. Siddaramaiah, who will turn 80 before the 2028 Assembly elections, had previously indicated he would resign if Gandhi requested it, though he was reportedly in shock when the decision was finalized. The transition reflects the Congress’s strategic concerns over Siddaramaiah’s age and the BJP’s expanding influence in Karnataka, the only state where the party has governed without allies. The BJP’s dominance in northern, western, and eastern India has intensified pressure on the Congress to consolidate its position in the south, where Karnataka remains a key battleground. Sources close to Siddaramaiah described his initial reaction as one of shock, as he had not anticipated Gandhi’s move. The 2023 pact was contentious, with Siddaramaiah reportedly insisting Shivakumar not be included in his Cabinet if the roles were rotational. Shivakumar, who led the Congress to victory in Karnataka’s 2023 elections, had argued he deserved the CM position. The two eventually agreed to the arrangement, but tensions resurfaced as the two-and-a-half-year mark approached last November. The Congress high command, still recovering from losses in Bihar, delayed a decision until after this year’s state elections, allowing Siddaramaiah to surpass D Devaraj Urs’s record as Karnataka’s longest-serving CM. Shivakumar had intensified pressure on the party leadership, demanding the rotational agreement be honored. The Congress’s failure to enforce a similar rotational CM system in Chhattisgarh had weakened its credibility, and the party faced questions about whether an octogenarian like Siddaramaiah could effectively lead the campaign against the BJP in 2028. The decision to replace him now also aligns with the Congress’s broader strategy to project Shivakumar, a seasoned crisis manager, as a stronger counter to the BJP’s rising influence in the state.