Political careers rarely follow a linear trajectory, and SiddaramaiahHis nearly five-decade-long public life has been marked by dramatic turns and political reinventions, culminating in his. He achieved the distinction of being the longest serving Chief Minister of Karnataka, surpassing D. Devaraj Urs..
Siddaramaiah, a central figure in Karnataka politics since the mid-1980s, announced his resignation as chief minister on May 28, 2026. Over decades, he navigated the state’s complex political landscape through carefully crafted social alliances and a governance model focused on welfare and inclusivity.
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Born on August 3, 1947 in Siddharamahundi village near Mysore (now Mysuru), Siddaramaiah is S. in the history of Karnataka. He became the third Chief Minister after Nijalingappa and D. Devaraj Urs to complete a full five-year term. Return to lead the state for a second, even if not consecutive, termAnd was ultimately disconnected.
17 budget presented
The lawyer-turned-politician hails from the Kuruba community, traditionally associated with pastoralism and spread across Karnataka. Budget of 17 states presented During his career. This puts him second only to Vajubhai Vala, who presented 18 budgets in Gujarat before later serving as the Governor of Karnataka.
Siddaramaiah’s political career was built in the 1980s under the supervision of former Chief Minister Ramakrishna Hegde. Over the years, he served under five chief ministers – Hegde, SR Bommai, HD Deve Gowda, JH Patel and Dharam Singh. He also held positions as a minister, twice Deputy Chief Minister, Leader of the Opposition and President of the Janata Dal (Secular) state unit. A nine-time MLA, his rise in politics is notable for his lack of inherited political or social capital.
In his long political career, he contested only two Lok Sabha elections – from Mysuru in 1980 and from Koppal in 1991 – losing both.
In pictures Siddaramaiah: From lawyer to Karnataka’s longest serving Chief Minister
Siddaramaiah B, Minister of State, (pictured during the Karnataka Assembly elections in March 1985).
A photograph of Siddaramaiah (right) with his friend from 1989 was found at his relative’s house in Siddaramahundi village in Mysore district on May 10, 2013.
Ramakrishna taking oath as Minister of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services in the Hegde government, with (far left) BR Yavagal, PGR Scindia and MP Prakash.
Siddaramaiah seen with Chief Minister Ramakrishna Hegde.
An image from 1995 showing a clearly tired Chief Minister HD Deve Gowda being briefed by Finance Minister Siddaramaiah about the symbolic “panchayat cut” at a meeting of district panchayat members in Bengaluru.
In 1996, Siddaramaiah took oath as Deputy Chief Minister in the presence of Chief Minister JH Patel and Governor Kurshid Alam Khan.
Siddaramaiah was presenting the state budget for 1997–98 in his capacity as Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister of Karnataka in Bengaluru.
Siddaramaiah, as JD(S) state president, is seen with HD Deve Gowda on 5 February 2002.
Former Prime Minister and JD(S) national president HD Deve Gowda along with Siddaramaiah were elected legislative party leaders after the legislature party meeting in Bengaluru on May 16, 2004.
Siddaramaiah, then state president of Janata Dal (S), waving to the crowd in front of HD Deve Gowda’s residence in Padmanabhanagar, Bengaluru, May 14, 2004.
Siddaramaiah, then Deputy Chief Minister, browsing a newspaper carrying photographs of his swearing-in ceremony in Bengaluru on May 29, 2004.
CM Dharam Singh and Deputy CM Siddaramaiah after the swearing-in ceremony in Bengaluru on 28 May 2004.
Deputy Chief Minister and JD(S) state president Siddaramaiah was given a warm welcome by his supporters on his first visit to Mysore after taking charge as Deputy Chief Minister in 2004.
S. Siddaramaiah getting ready to present the state budget for 2004–05 in Bengaluru on 19 July 2004.
Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah collected donations for tsunami-affected victims during his padayatra in Mysore in January 2005.
Opposition leader Siddaramaiah, KPCC president RV Deshpande and others taking a rest during the Bangalore to Bellary Padayatra in July 2010.
Chief Minister-elect Siddaramaiah waving after the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting at KPCC on April 10, 2013.
A supporter shows the tattoo of Congress leader Siddaramaiah near his residence in Bengaluru on May 17, 2023.
Karnataka Governor HR Bhardwaj administers the oath of office to KPCC chief Siddaramaiah (left) as Chief Minister during the swearing-in ceremony at the Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on May 13, 2013.
Congress Party President Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah greeting villagers and Youth Congress members during a padayatra at Ranebennur in Haveri district on October 10, 2015.
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contradictory terms
Siddaramaiah’s two terms as Chief Minister – From 2013 to 2018 And from May 2023 to May 2026 – there was a considerable gap in terms of political authority and administrative control. During his first term he emerged as the undisputed leader of the Congress in Karnataka.
In contrast, his second term was marked by a ongoing power struggle With Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC President DK Shivakumar. The Congress high command also intervened on several occasions, including exerting pressure to topple the government. decade old socio-educational surveyPopularly known as caste census, and a fresh commission was constituted.
pro poor image
Siddaramaiah derived his political strength from his image as a pro-poor leader and consistently based his politics around social justice. During his first term, he enacted the Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan Law, which mandated budgetary allocation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in proportion to their population. His political legacy was also shaped by an extensive welfare agenda – from the Bhastha schemes launched during his first term to the Five Guarantees scheme launched during his second term in office.
However, his second term was also filled with controversies and internal strife. When the government is grappling with allegations of corruption and factional infighting, the regime often appears to be in retreat. The Congress, which came to power by accusing the BJP government of “40% corruption”, faced allegations of financial irregularities. These include embezzlement charges Karnataka Maharishi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation, and allegations surrounding the allocation of sites Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) to Siddaramaiah’s wife in Mysuru district. These controversies damaged the public image of the government.
At the same time, the ongoing tussle for power between Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar became a recurring feature. Leaders and MLAs associated with the deputy chief minister have repeatedly traveled to Delhi to lobby with the Congress leadership, seeking to strengthen Mr Shivakumar’s claim to the top post. Rivalries often complicate governance and lead to strained cohesion within both the party and the government.
Siddaramaiah had to face political controversies even during his first term. His government’s recommendation to recognize Lingayats as a separate religion came under criticism, while the BJP strongly opposed the decision to officially celebrate the birth anniversary of Mysore’s 18th-century ruler Tipu Sultan. Although Siddaramaiah initially defended celebrating Tipu Jayanti, the government later backtracked amid persistent allegations of “minority appeasement” by the BJP.
Siddaramaiah established himself as a formidable mass leader, known for his clean dealing and strong connect with rural Karnataka. | Photo Courtesy: Arun Kulkarni
Lohia effect
As Karnataka emerged as a bastion of socialist thought in the 1960s and 1970s, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia’s ideas resonated widely among the youth, including Siddaramaiah. He formally entered public life in 1978 as a member of the Mysore Taluk Development Board. In 1983, he entered the Legislative Assembly as an independent and supported the Janata Party government led by Ramakrishna Hegde, the first non-Congress Chief Minister of Karnataka. He joined the Janata Party in 1985 and became a minister during his second term as an MLA after winning the assembly elections that year. Since then, he has been continuously active in government or party positions.
He was expelled from the Janata Dal (Secular) in 2005 following a rift with former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, who had begun promoting his son HD Kumaraswamy within the party. Despite opposing the Congress politically for a long time, Siddaramaiah joined the party in 2006 in Bengaluru in the presence of Sonia Gandhi.
broad alliance
Within the Congress, he strengthened his position by building a broad social coalition of Dalits, backward castes and minorities – known as AHINDA in Karnataka politics. This strategy was aimed at eliminating the political dominance of the two dominant communities in the state, the Vokkaligas and the Lingayats. Siddaramaiah’s social coalition-building has been compared to the politics of D. Devaraj Urs in the 1970s.
Although some Congress leaders initially termed him an outsider after his entry into the party, his command over the consolidated AHINDA social faction eventually led him to become the Leader of the Opposition and later Chief Minister twice. Siddaramaiah established himself as a formidable mass leader, known for his clean dealing and strong connect with rural Karnataka.
published – May 28, 2026 12:15 PM IST
