SIDDARAMAIAH BREAKS DOWN AS DK Shivakumar Takes Over Karnataka | Congress Power Shift Goes Emotional

Added: 2026-05-28

[00:00:00]The Social Chief Minister [music] was in tears while stepping out of the Chief Minister's residence that has been caught on camera. Santosh [Music] I remember he got extensive backing from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and he was the Labour Minister. Several reforms that he had pressed for and cleared by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during his tenure, he was very emotional. So there were several other cabinet ministers, many of them first timers, who served earlier during the first term of Siddaramaiah as the Chief Minister.

[00:00:34]Your First Thoughts.

[00:00:50]Ok. Afreen continues to be with us Afreen it's an emotional moment for several of the cabinet ministers as I mentioned some of them are first timers some of them this is the second time they have been working with Siddaramaiah they have served in his cabinet between 2013 and 18 as well so clearly I saw many of them seeing this as an end of an era car car place driver alright we will get back Afreen Hussain on the live broadcast but that was the sentiment that was there in the house in the ah ah residence of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the breakfast meeting taken over in fact the details coming in suggest that it was Siddaramaiah who told his cabinet colleagues that the Congress high command had asked him to step aside and they have decided to go ahead with DK Kumar as the next Chief Minister he told them that he will follow the Dictat of the High Command itself is resigning. He will extend all possible corporate support to the next person who gets picked as the Chief Minister and he will end that breakfast meeting. Much before that meeting started, there was a small interaction that DK Shivakumar and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had. Ah before they get, they got into the press conference ah into the conference room ah where other ministers were present. We put out that video as well where Siddaramaiah is seen congratulating D K Shiva Kumar and having conversation with him Afreen Hussain continues to be with us Afreen emotional moment for several of these cabinet ministers who believe that it's end of an era with Siddaramaiah stepping away and already he will be active in politics but not active in electoral politics.

[00:02:44]Well, absolutely Harish, remember Siddaramaiah is a tall leader, he is a mass leader. He had extreme following among not only the people but also his cabinet colleagues and the MLAs. He has the support and is popular among most of the MLAs. And ah this is inside a heart ah you know ah an emotional moment for all those who are loyal to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. And ah it is n end of an era. Such a tall leader, such a tall OBC Chief Minister that Congress has had in ah in Karnataka. Ah it is an end of an era and it is really a very smooth transition that is going to happen. Ah there were a you know ah speculation that he is going to have a long list of demands that he is going to put in for in front of the high command. He's going to ask for his Ah Son to be made the Deputy Chief Minister and more such in the list. However, we are seeing that a smooth transaction is taking place.

[00:03:39]The Chief Minister will be going to the Governor's office at 2:30 it has been confirmed and he will tender his resignation. Ah He Will Hand It Over to the Secretary Since the Governor Is Not in the City. Ah and we saw the visuals the images they speak for themselves Harish. No need for us to describe it. But let me tell the viewers that it was an emotional scene seeing DK Shiva Kumar touch ah bow down and touch Sidharth Shukla's spit when he went to the Chief Minister's residence for the breakfast meeting he also hugged him you can see the bornhomey between them it is an emotional scene were witnessed at the Chief Minister's residence is what we were being told.

[00:04:15]Several office cabinet colleagues were also teary eyed is ah what we are getting to know ah ah ah considering that Siddaramaiah will not be involved in active electoral politics. He will be in the state politics. He has never been in active electoral politics and several MLAs and ministers have told CNN News 18 that it is also impossible for them to go ahead and conduct the 2028 assembly polls in Karnataka without Siddaramaiah's support. He has such a large fan base in not only ah the northern part of Karnataka. In all over all over Pan Karnataka he had a following the Ahinda umbrella that he carries with him. Ah the followers from there he has had such massive following and popularity among all the sexes and all people across Karnataka. So it is the end of an era for Karnataka.

[00:05:07]Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah Harish absolutely said with us, just a while ago I spoke to Karnataka Health Minister at Dinesh Kundurao. Remember he is served under Siddaramaiah twice in the first term between 2013 and 18. Now as well he has been the Health Minister for the last three years. He says everybody there was emotional, he himself was controlling his tears and he said it is the end of an era but we do hope that Siddaramaiah continues as an active politician and will serve the Congress party. Let's listen in.

[00:05:45]A first meeting is over. Ah, the Chief Minister will head to Raj Bhavan in a short while. Your first shot sir after that entire interaction.

[00:05:55]CM today with his council of ministers.

[00:05:57]I think ah I mean the way he handled it and the way he spoke I think it just shows what a great personality he is. You know being in power for CM for now eight years only seen and being an opposition leader. And the way he spoke to us it was like very touching I think and very frank and you know very moving. And he was also very clear about his thoughts. And we see some many times that in such situations how political leaders can play tricks but you know he was so clear and he thanked everybody and he said he will remain an MLA for two more years and he will work with the party and you know he will continue to you know the bigger battle is to see that you know this this kind of hegemonic kind of approach that BJP has got we need to stop that and we need to win the next election, and we will all work together. So, he was very clear about it. And he also said that I command has said that next DK should become this Chief Minister and ah that all work together. So you know I think it was a very.

[00:07:06]I think you know that we have such a great regard for Chief Minister Siddar ji. But today I think you know we went up another level all together. Because we know he is a mass leader, popular leader, everything, and he is a charismatic leader. But he handled himself today.

[00:07:22]I think it just shows what a great human being he is and what a great person he is. No animosity, no you, no feeling of ill will, no feeling of hurt.

[00:07:34]It was something which it moved everybody, I think it just moved each and every person who was sitting in the room.

[00:07:40]Sir, you have served under them twice in the first term between 39 and 59 in this current term. Ah there is so much charter on weather you know he wants to go to the Rajya Sabha and weather he prefers to be here in Karnataka. This is something he spoke multiple times on him wanting to be in Karnataka. How do you do that sir I think that's something that I don't want to say, those are all his personal decisions, sir don't want to get into that.

[00:08:03]But I only say that the way he handled himself, I think, just elevated him in the eyes of the people. He is sure that he is the leader who is cut above I think most of the political great leaders that we see here in Karnataka today. He is above all of them.

[00:08:19]And cutting across party lines I think there is nobody who is like Siddharan in Karnataka today. And ah I think he is proved it again today, but the way he is handled it. And he has shown that he is also a disciplined person, the party he has always said that whatever the high command tells me I will do and when the high command asked him. He he just followed the you know not follow whatever they said and you know sometimes people expect that you know he might do something he might create some problem [sound of clearing throat] some troubles are there but there was no even a small incurring of that and I think he just shows his commitment to the ideology to the party ah to the cause is for social justice for working for the poor even today also he irritated all that we need to work for them we need to work for the poor people we need to see that ah whatever the Congress ideology is there. ah the in that same way in the government should function. And it was something that I think was just incredible just being there, it is an experience. I think which one will never forget in our lives. Being in that room and listening to him speak. I think it will always be there in our memories.

[00:09:26]True. My final question to you sir. Ah emotional moments for a lot of you. His Cabinet Colleague. We saw in fact some of your cabinet colleagues also almost in tears.

[00:09:35]Or everybody was moved I think in the hall when we were in the city and even I was personally like almost felt that he has coming out but yes of course I controlled it but it was moving because we worked with him for so long and I worked with him as an MLA then as a minister as a working president as a president of the party we work together and you know so many and he was such an open minded person like you know I say as a minister ah he never I think every minister had the same experience he never interfered with the minister. He used to suggest certain things to be done and tells certain times to know to do certain things. But if he went and and and and and and and and and and argued with him and told him sir this is not correct. We need to do it like this. He never forced anything to be done on any issue. Atay I have seen as an organization person and as a ministry colleague with him working under him. That Never Once Has He When I Felt Strongly About a Certain Thing, He Never Over Rolled Me. You would have, you know, had a different opinion than you would have said, okay, fine, you go ahead and do you know, and that is a shared experience with every minister, I don't think any [sound of clearing throat] a chief minister who gives so much freedom to his minister and who gives them, you know, the space to do what they want, I think, is very rare, and that is what I think was a common thought that every minister had in today's meeting.

[00:10:53]Absolutely. Thank you sir. Thanks a lot for speaking to us.

[00:10:56]You want to say something, alright, that was Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Kundurao speaking about what transpired at that meeting inside the Chief Minister's residence. In fact, now there is an indication that in a short while from now the Chief Minister will be heading to the Raj Bhavan.