Bengaluru: DK Shivakumar is set to become the next Chief Minister of Karnataka after Congress veteran Siddaramaiah officially submitted his resignation on Thursday, ending a three-year leadership dispute within the party.

Siddaramaiah confirmed that the Congress high command had chosen Shivakumar as his successor. Emotional scenes were witnessed in Bengaluru as supporters gathered to bid farewell to Siddaramaiah, many seen crying and touching his feet.

The leadership transition followed two days of high-level meetings in Delhi involving Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and KC Venugopal. Although officially linked to Rajya Sabha seat discussions, the meetings were widely seen as finalising the chief ministerial change.

Congress leaders projected unity by sharing photos of Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar together, while Shivakumar’s supporters celebrated outside his residence by distributing sweets. The move is expected to strengthen the party’s preparations for the 2028 Karnataka Assembly elections.