Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah has been made a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party's apex decision-making body, days after he relinquished the Karnataka chief minister's post to clear the way for DK Shivakumar.
Siddaramaiah, 77, resigned as chief minister on May 28, saying he had been asked by the Congress high command to step down to make way for his deputy, Shivakumar or DKS.
The move ended a prolonged power tussle dating back to the party's 2023 win, when both leaders had staked a claim to the top job.
Last month, the high command had reportedly offered Siddaramaiah a central role in the party. The CWC berth now moves in that direction.
Shivakumar, 64, was unanimously elected leader of the Congress Legislature Party, paving the way for him to become chief minister, with the swearing-in held on June 3 in Bengaluru.
Notably, Siddaramaiah himself proposed Shivakumar's name at the CLP meeting, while G Parameshwara seconded it. A resolution praising Siddaramaiah's tenure was moved by Shivakumar.
The CWC appointment marks Siddaramaiah's return to the body after a gap.
{{/usCountry}}The CWC appointment marks Siddaramaiah's return to the body after a gap.
{{/usCountry}}He was inducted into the CWC under then party chief Rahul Gandhi's 2018 reconstitution, but was divested of that membership in 2019 when he was named Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka assembly.
Siddaramaiah meets Cong top brass along with Shivakumar
Siddaramaiah had, earlier today along with Karnataka CM-designate Shivakumar, met senior Congress leaders and held discussions regarding the new cabinet in the state.
Shivakumar will take oath as the chief minister of Karnataka on June 3 in Bengaluru, with Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi in attendance. He will take oath alongside a small cabinet, which would be expanded later on, PTI news agency reported.
Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar also separately met Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi. Party general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal and AICC general secretary-in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Surjewala were also present during the meeting. The leaders reportedly chalked out the finer details of Karnataka's cabinet formation.
Siddaramaiah's son Yathindra in line for Karnataka cabinet berth
Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah's son Yathindra also threw his hat into the ring for a cabinet berth, according to an earlier HT report. People aware of the matter said a ministerial post was part of the internal power-sharing understanding reached when the Congress formed the state government in 2023.
Yathindra, who is a member of the state legislative council, rejected suggestions that Siddaramaiah had sought a cabinet berth for him during discussions with the party leadership. He said that senior leaders were in favour of his induction.