A day after stepping down as Karnataka chief minister, Siddaramaiah’s resignation was formally accepted by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Friday, bringing an end to months of speculation and internal power tussles within the Congress in the state. As the leadership transition unfolded, senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily disclosed that the change in Karnataka’s top post was not sudden but part of a pre-planned arrangement made nearly two and a half years ago.
Calling the development as a “smooth transition”, Moily said the arrangement was decided when Siddaramaiah assumed office for his second term as chief minister.
Speaking to ANI, Moily praised Siddaramaiah’s tenure and expressed confidence that the Congress government would continue to remain stable under the next leadership.
"It is a transition... Siddaramaiah served well as a chief minister, and for 8 years, he served as our official leader... The change of guard after 2.5 years was decided when he took over as a CM for the second time, but he was allowed to continue for a couple of months more. He knew that the change is coming and there will be a change," he said.
"He served well in the party and the state government... The transition in the government is smooth, which means it will be a strong government for the next 2 years, and Congress's legacy will continue... I don't think the change will have a sudden impact; he will continue with the legacy of the Congress," Moily added.
Amid continuing speculation over Siddaramaiah’s successor, Moily said the decision now rests entirely with the Congress high command and expressed confidence that the leadership would arrive at a consensus.
He further said that once the high command announces its decision, party leaders and workers must work together to ensure smooth functioning of both the government and the organisation ahead of the 2028 Karnataka Assembly elections.
Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah earlier in the day met senior Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, to discuss the structure of the next Karnataka government, Rajya Sabha elections and other key political issues.