New Delhi, May 29: The resignation of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday intensified political confrontation between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress, with opposition leaders questioning the stability and internal functioning of the ruling party in the southern state.
Senior BJP leaders reacted sharply after Siddaramaiah formally stepped down from office, describing the development as a reflection of internal tensions within the Congress leadership at a time when the party is facing mounting political scrutiny in Karnataka.
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Lahar Singh Siroya alleged that Siddaramaiah’s political approach had weakened the Congress in the state and claimed that the party’s future in Karnataka remained uncertain following the leadership transition.
“Siddaramaiah was doing bad politics. He wants to finish the Congress in Karnataka,” Siroya told IANS while reacting to the resignation.
He further stated that the BJP expected to regain political ground in Karnataka in the near future and suggested that the Congress leadership would now face challenges in managing internal equations after Siddaramaiah’s exit from the Chief Minister’s post.
The resignation has triggered a wider political debate over the timing and circumstances surrounding the leadership change, with both national and regional leaders weighing in on the development.
Responding to the BJP’s criticism, Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel defended the party’s decision-making process and asserted that Congress leaders remained bound by directions issued by the party high command.
Baghel accused the BJP of spreading misinformation and attempting to politicise an internal organisational decision of the Congress party.
“No member of Congress will question the decision of the High Command. Whatever responsibility is given, we are supposed to keep working,” he said.
The political developments also drew reactions from West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh, who remarked that leadership instability had historically remained a recurring issue within the Congress party.
“It has been a tradition in the Congress that no Chief Minister is able to complete their tenure,” Ghosh said while commenting on the resignation.
Siddaramaiah submitted his resignation to the Governor’s Secretary at Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Cabinet ministers and senior Congress leaders, formally ending his tenure as Chief Minister after weeks of speculation over a possible leadership transition in Karnataka.
The resignation concluded prolonged political discussions within the ruling Congress unit regarding a change in leadership and succession planning in the state government.
Later, addressing a press conference alongside Shivakumar and Home Minister G. Parameshwara, Siddaramaiah stated that he had resigned in accordance with instructions issued by the Congress High Command.
He said he had always adhered to decisions taken by the party leadership and had stepped down in compliance with those directions.
At 78, Siddaramaiah remains one of Karnataka’s most prominent political leaders and joins a select group of politicians in the state who have served as Chief Minister on more than one occasion. The list includes leaders such as S. Nijalingappa, Veerendra Patil, D. Devaraj Urs, Ramakrishna Hegde, H.D. Kumaraswamy and B.S. Yediyurappa.
The leadership change marks a significant political moment in Karnataka and is expected to shape the state’s political dynamics ahead of future electoral contests.
