Siddaramaiah resigns as Karnataka CM, submits letter to Governor’s secretary
Siddaramaiah has resigned as the chief minister of Karnataka on Thursday. The veteran Congress leader visited the Lok Bhavan to submit his resignation, following which he addressed a press conference.
Siddaramaiah resigns as Karnataka CM, submits letter to Governor’s secretary | Image: ANI
Bengaluru: Siddaramaiah on Thursday announced that he has resigned from the chief ministerial post. He visited the Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru and submitted the resignation letter to Governor's secretary as he is currently not in the city. After submitting his resignation, the veteran Congress leader held a press conference in which he said, "I have submitted my resignation today after the high command told me earlier to resign. I am fully confident that the Governor will accept it when he comes because it has to be done according to the Constitution...We are in the absolute majority. Therefore, it is constitutional that the Chief Minister should be allowed (to form govt)...I would like to express my immense gratitude to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, who have provided this opportunity."
The veteran Congress leader was the longest-serving chief minister of the southern state.
Siddaramaiah Said He Never Expected To Become An MLA
While thanking supporters and Congress leaders, outgoing CM Siddaramaiah said he never expected to become an MLA. He revealed that his entry into politics was "accidental."
"I came from a village. I never thought I'd be an MLA, minister or chief minister. My entry to politics is accidental. My parents or anyone in my family is from politics," the Congress leader said.
"Believe, Buddha, Ambedkar and Basava. I believe in the Constitution. I believe all castes, religions and communities should live as one. I also believed that the wealth should be equally distributed. That's why the teachings of Buddha, Bavasa, Gandhi and Ambedkar have remained the root of my politics... I believe that an equal society should be there and everyone gets the same rights," Siddaramaiah added.
Siddaramaiah Reportedly Offered Rajya Sabha seat by Congress
The major development has taken place after Congress high command reportedly asked Siddaramaiah to tender his resignation from the state's top post and offered him a Rajya Sabha seat.
According to sources, Siddaramaiah may have decided to step down from the CM post as instructions directly came from Rahul Gandhi. He said that he would resign from the post if the Leader of the Opposition in the lower house asked him to do so.
On Tuesday, both Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar were summoned by the party high command to Delhi. They attended back-to-back meetings at the Congress headquarters which involved Rahul Gandhi, AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge and party General Secretaries K C Venugopal.
Governor's Role
As per the constitution, the resignation of a chief minister becomes effective once it is accepted by the governor of the respective state.
The Governor is the head of the state and his powers are linked to the office and not to a specific location. He can approve administrative decisions and official documents even while staying outside the state.
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