The Congress has weathered the transition from Siddaramaiah to DK Shivakumar in government. The Congress’ more difficult transition may come in the next Assembly election, when Karnataka voters will see Siddaramaiah absent from the ballot for the first time in decades.
By announcing that he will not contest the 2028 Assembly election, Siddaramaiah has done more than signal the end of his electoral career. He has set the stage for the Congress’s first real test of whether the political coalition he assembled can endure without its principal architect seeking a mandate himself.
His son and Karnataka minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah said there was no question of asking his father to reconsider the decision.
“As his son, I would never ask him to return to electoral politics. He is nearing 80, and at this stage I want him to have the rest and medical care he deserves. His well-being matters far more to me than another election,” he said.
“Once my father reaches a decision, he rarely changes it. He had spoken earlier about stepping away from elections, and he has now repeated that position,” he added.
For nearly two decades, Siddaramaiah has been more than the party’s tallest leader in Karnataka. He has served as the Congress’s principal campaigner, its most recognisable mass leader and the face of the AHINDA coalition of minorities, backward classes and Dalits. While D. K. Shivakumar now leads the government, the Congress has yet to demonstrate that Siddaramaiah’s electoral appeal can be transferred to another leader.
{{/usCountry}}For nearly two decades, Siddaramaiah has been more than the party’s tallest leader in Karnataka. He has served as the Congress’s principal campaigner, its most recognisable mass leader and the face of the AHINDA coalition of minorities, backward classes and Dalits. While D. K. Shivakumar now leads the government, the Congress has yet to demonstrate that Siddaramaiah’s electoral appeal can be transferred to another leader.
{{/usCountry}}That question becomes even more pressing because Siddaramaiah’s influence extends beyond public popularity. He continues to enjoy the backing of a sizeable group of legislators and remains central to decisions affecting the party organisation. His decision to stay in Karnataka rather than pursue national politics means that influence is unlikely to disappear after 2028.
Yet influence without electoral participation presents a different political equation.
Journalist and political analyst Sugata Srinivasaraju said Siddaramaiah was unlikely to shift his attention to Delhi. “He has never shown much interest in moving to national politics, largely because language has always been a limitation. I expect him to remain an influential presence in the Assembly, but I don’t see him taking an active role in preparing the party for the 2028 campaign,” he said.
Srinivasaraju also said Siddaramaiah’s role outside government had often reshaped Karnataka’s politics. “Looking back over three decades, one pattern stands out. Siddaramaiah has usually been most engaged when he has a direct stake in power. When he has been outside government, his interventions have often unsettled the political establishment. The 2018 coalition period is frequently cited as an example,” he said.
Some within the Congress believe the transition can be managed because the party, rather than Siddaramaiah alone, commands loyalty among large sections of the AHINDA coalition.
Political commentator A. Narayana argued that Dalits and minorities have historically voted for the Congress as much as for Siddaramaiah. “The AHINDA coalition is not politically homogeneous. Dalits and minorities have traditionally identified more with the Congress than with any one leader. Among OBC communities, Siddaramaiah’s strongest support has come from the Kurubas. His departure could even give the Congress an opportunity to rebuild support among other backward communities that have drifted away,” he said.
“The party insists Siddaramaiah will continue to play an active political role even after he stops contesting elections. But campaigning for a party and standing before voters are different forms of political authority,” summarised a leader who didn’t want to be named.