Chief minister Siddaramaiah is poised to become the longest serving chief minister in Karnataka on January 7, a milestone that comes as the state Congress grapples with questions over leadership and a potential Cabinet reshuffle.
The achievement, surpassing the tenure of Devaraj Urs, is being marked by supporters who see it as a signal of political stability amid internal divisions.
Siddaramaiah’s record-breaking tenure includes 1,829 days in his first term from 2013 to 2018 and the remainder in his current term, which began in May 2023. He will equal Urs’ record of 2,792 days on January 6 and surpass it the next day.
Siddaramaiah’s political career spans the Lok Dal, Janata Dal, and, since 2006, the Congress, where he rose from opposition leader to chief minister, returning to power after a gap of five years.
In Karnataka’s history, Urs is followed by S Nijalingappa (7 years and 175 days), Ramakrishna Hegde (5 years and 216 days), and BS Yediyurappa (5 years and 82 days).
Supporters are planning events to mark the occasion, with many aimed at mobilising the Ahinda coalition of minorities, backward classes, and Dalits, Siddaramaiah’s core support base. On January 6, one group plans a Nati Koli Oota, or country chicken feast, in Bengaluru. “We will celebrate the occasion. However, the scale of the celebration is yet to be finalized,” said KM Ramachandrappa, president of the Karnataka State Federation of Backward Class Communities.
{{/usCountry}}Supporters are planning events to mark the occasion, with many aimed at mobilising the Ahinda coalition of minorities, backward classes, and Dalits, Siddaramaiah’s core support base. On January 6, one group plans a Nati Koli Oota, or country chicken feast, in Bengaluru. “We will celebrate the occasion. However, the scale of the celebration is yet to be finalized,” said KM Ramachandrappa, president of the Karnataka State Federation of Backward Class Communities.
{{/usCountry}}Siddaramaiah is scheduled to attend a state-level convention of the Kumbara, or potter, community on January 5. Later in the month, a larger Ahinda convention is planned in Mysuru, his native region. Social welfare minister HC Mahadevappa, a loyalist, said, “We have not asked anybody to organise Ahinda convention. But there are various communities who are free to organise their conventions.”
“Organisations, activists, commoners, their opinion is that Siddaramaiah should continue as chief minister for the all-round development of the state,” and said these groups had “contributed” to Congress’ 2023 victory.
Attention is turning to New Delhi, where Siddaramaiah is expected to meet party leaders after January 15. Those in the know said Siddaramaiah is pressing for a cabinet reshuffle, while Shivakumar wants the leadership issue resolved first. Recent protests in Karnataka show workers demanding clarity, with many openly backing Shivakumar for his organisational skills and grassroots connections. “Those discussions are expected to cover the leadership question, a Cabinet reshuffle and a possible change in the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee chief,” a senior leader said.
Siddaramaiah attended a Congress Working Committee meeting in Delhi last week but returned without holding talks with Rahul Gandhi on state matters.
Amid the political uncertainty, Siddaramaiah has indicated continuity in governance. Holding the finance portfolio, he said on Thursday, “This month itself, January 2026,” when asked about budget preparation for 2026–27. Officials said the budget is expected to be presented in March.
In November, Siddaramaiah had said he would present his 17th budget next year, having delivered his 16th in March 2025. The remarks have taken on added significance as speculation over leadership intensified after the Congress government completed half of its five-year term on November 20, linked to the claims of the 2023 power-sharing pact with Shivakumar. Home minister G Parameshwara said that if the high command plans any leadership decision, “it should be taken before the budget process begins.”