- Siddaramaiah will not contest the 2028 Karnataka Assembly elections due to his age, health, and concerns about political corruption.
- He plans to stay active in public life and continue advocating for the people despite retiring from electoral politics.
- By 2028, he will complete 50 years in politics and remains committed to his principles and public service.
Former Karnataka Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah has announced that he will not contest the 2028 Karnataka Assembly elections, citing advancing age, declining health, and what he described as the "corrupted" state of politics.
The announcement was made on Sunday, just weeks after Siddaramaiah was replaced by DK Shivakumar as Karnataka Chief Minister. While the timing has drawn attention, the veteran Congress leader said his decision was driven by his age, health, and the changing nature of politics.
'No longer possible to work with the same enthusiasm': Siddaramaiah
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Siddaramaiah said he would not contest the 2028 Assembly elections or any future polls.
“I will not contest in the 2028 assembly elections. I am now 79 years old. Our government’s term still has one and a half years left. By then, I will be 81-82 years old. My health is not as robust as it used to be. It is no longer possible to work with the same enthusiasm as before," he wrote.
ರಾಜಕೀಯ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರ ಇಂದು ಕಲುಷಿತಗೊಂಡಿರುವುದರಿಂದ 2028ರ ವಿಧಾನಸಭಾ ಚುನಾವಣೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಾನು ಸ್ಪರ್ಧಿಸುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಆದರೆ, ಸಕ್ರಿಯ ರಾಜಕಾರಣದಲ್ಲಿದ್ದು, ಜನರ ಕಷ್ಟ, ಸುಖಗಳಿಗೆ ಧ್ವನಿಯಾಗಿ ನಿಲ್ಲುತ್ತೇನೆ.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) July 26, 2026
ಮತ್ತೊಮ್ಮೆ ಚುನಾವಣೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ಪರ್ಧಿಸುವಂತೆ ವರುಣ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರದ ಜನರು ಒತ್ತಾಯಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಆದರೆ ನಾನು ಇನ್ನು ಮುಂದೆ ಯಾವುದೇ… pic.twitter.com/v0S4tCQ30o
The former Chief Minister said he would, however, remain active in public life and continue to raise issues concerning the people.
“Since the political field has become corrupted today, I will not contest in the 2028 assembly elections. However, remaining active in politics, I will continue to stand as a voice for the people’s hardships and joys," Siddaramaiah said.
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'Politics today is thoroughly corrupted'
Siddaramaiah said people in the Varuna constituency had once again urged him to contest the next Assembly elections, but he had decided not to fight any election in the future.
Recalling his earlier campaigns, he said that when he contested elections in the past, people from the constituency voluntarily contributed money and helped secure his victories. He added that the situation has now changed.
“The time has come where, if we contest elections, we would have to give money to the people. Politics today is thoroughly corrupted. Honest politics seems to have no leg to stand on. In this backdrop, I have arrived at the decision not to contest in future elections," he said.
Siddaramaiah said he would be 82 by 2028, the year that will also mark 50 years of his political career. He recalled beginning his political journey in 1978 as a taluk board member and said the past five decades had brought both victories and defeats.
Looking back on his career, the Congress leader said he was content that he had never compromised his principles or betrayed his conscience.
Thanking the people of Karnataka for their support over the years, Siddaramaiah said his commitment to public service would continue even after retiring from electoral politics.
“For five decades, the people of the state have seen me as one among them and affectionately guided me. This debt weighs on me. Therefore, my future life too will be dedicated to public service," he said.