Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is widely expected to resign from office as early as Thursday, 29 May 2025, in what would mark the end of his current tenure and the formal resolution of a prolonged power struggle within the state unit of the Indian National Congress. The near-confirmation came from veteran Congress leader and nine-time MLA RV Deshpande, who told reporters on Wednesday that the transition is imminent.

What RV Deshpande Said

Speaking to media persons on Wednesday, Deshpande stopped just short of a formal announcement. 'This may happen tomorrow or the day after tomorrow,' he said, when pressed on the likely change of guard in Karnataka. He added that the development had come as a surprise to many within the party, himself included, but that the matter had been 'deliberated upon and decided' by the Congress high command in Delhi.

'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. He did not name the next Chief Minister, stressing that the decision rests entirely with the party's central leadership.

The Breakfast Meeting That Could Seal the Transition

The disclosures by Deshpande come ahead of a crucial breakfast meeting that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is scheduled to hold with cabinet colleagues on Thursday morning. It is after this meeting that the Chief Minister is expected to formally announce the power transition, according to reports.

When reporters questioned Siddaramaiah about the leadership change on Wednesday — as he paid homage to former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru at Vidhana Soudha — he declined to elaborate, offering only a brief, 'I will speak tomorrow.'

The Shivakumar Factor and the 2.5-Year Formula

The open rivalry between the Siddaramaiah camp and that of Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has simmered since the Congress formed the government in Karnataka. Shivakumar had reportedly insisted on a 2.5-year power-sharing arrangement, purportedly agreed upon during government formation. The dispute eventually escalated to the Congress high command in Delhi, which reportedly dithered before being 'forced' to take a call.

According to reports, the Congress high command has given the go-ahead for Shivakumar's elevation as the next Chief Minister, with deliberations still ongoing over the composition of the incoming cabinet. Notably, when asked whether he himself would find a berth in the next cabinet, Deshpande said he was not certain.

What This Means for Karnataka Politics

This is not the first time a mid-term leadership change has roiled a Congress-governed state, but the Karnataka episode has been unusually public, with both camps making little effort to conceal their competing ambitions. The Congress high command's intervention underscores the limits of state-level autonomy within the party when internal factions reach an impasse.

All eyes now turn to Thursday's breakfast meeting and the subsequent announcement — a moment that will set the political direction of Karnataka for the remainder of the government's term.