Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot accepts Siddaramaiah’s resignation as Karnataka CM

Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Friday accepted the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

In the absence of the Governor, Siddaramaiah had submitted his resignation to the Governor's Special Secretary at Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru, on Thursday.

“In exercise of the powers conferred on me under Article 164(1) of the constitution of India, I, Thaawarchand Gehlot, Governor of Karnataka, have accepted the resignation of Shri. Siddaramaiah, Chief Minister of Karnataka and dissolved the Council of Ministers headed by him with immediate effect,” the Governor said in the notification.

Siddaramaiah will continue to function as CM till alternative arrangements are made.

Meanwhile, both Siddaramaiah and deputy CM D K Shivakumar, who will succeed him, are in Delhi to meet the Congress high command and discuss the transition of power, and formation of the new cabinet.

At a breakfast meeting hosted at his residence for cabinet colleagues on Thursday, Siddaramaiah informed Ministers of his decision to step down and stated that Shivakumar would be his successor, as per the directions of the Congress high command, said several Ministers who attended the meeting.

The move follows the Congress high command asking Siddaramaiah to make way for a leadership change in the state and offering him a central role in the party with a Rajya Sabha seat. Siddaramaiah has not accepted the central role.

Sources indicate Siddaramaiah decided to step down after a message came directly from top party leader Rahul Gandhi.

Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar were summoned to Delhi on Tuesday by the party, where there were back-to-back meetings at the Congress headquarters involving Rahul Gandhi, AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, party General Secretaries K C Venugopal and Surjewala.

(With PTI inputs)