Tension outside CM's residence as supporters rally behind Siddaramaiah amid resignation buzz

Bengaluru: Tension gripped the area outside Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s official residence, Cauvery, on Wednesday evening after thousands of supporters gathered amid developments surrounding his possible resignation.

The sudden political developments triggered emotional scenes both at Vidhana Soudha and outside the chief minister’s residence on Kumara Krupa Road, as rumours intensified that the Congress high command had directed Siddaramaiah to step down. 

As news of his possible exit spread rapidly across the city, large numbers of Congress workers, Siddaramaiah loyalists and people claiming to represent the Ahinda community assembled outside the Cauvery residence, shouting slogans against the party high command. The protesters demanded that Siddaramaiah be allowed to continue as chief minister, arguing that the Congress government in Karnataka remained strong because of his leadership and mass appeal. 

The supporters warned that removing Siddaramaiah from the post could adversely affect the party in the 2028 assembly elections. The gathering soon swelled into the thousands, prompting heightened security arrangements around the residence and adjoining stretches of Kumara Krupa Road. 

Police personnel were deployed in large numbers to prevent any untoward incidents and disperse the crowd. As slogan-shouting intensified, police took several protesters into preventive custody and shifted them from the spot in buses.