Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who is widely seen as the frontrunner to succeed Siddaramaiah as CM, left for New Delhi on Thursday to meet the Congress high command, hours after Siddaramaiah announced his resignation, official sources said. Earlier in the evening, Siddaramaiah also left for the national capital to meet the Congress leadership. According to Shivakumar’s travel schedule shared with the media, he will arrive in Delhi tonight, while his return journey has been kept open-ended. Party sources said discussions regarding the selection of the new Congress Legislature Party leader, the composition of the new ministry and other organisational matters, including the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president’s post currently held by Shivakumar, were likely to take place during the Delhi visit. They said clarity on these issues was expected within a day or two.
Earlier in the day, during a breakfast meeting hosted at his residence for cabinet colleagues, Siddaramaiah informed ministers of his decision to step down and indicated that Shivakumar would succeed him, in line with directions from the Congress high command, according to several ministers who attended the meeting. However, when asked about the next chief minister during a press conference later, Siddaramaiah said, “Whoever the legislature party and the high command decide will be the chief minister of the state.” Asked about Shivakumar becoming chief minister, his brother and former Congress MP D K Suresh said, “Let us wait for the party’s decision.”