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Siddaramaiah says he won’t contest 2028 Karnataka elections, but is it retirement, succession planning or a sign of a bigger role for Congress ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections?
Sources close to Siddaramaiah say that although the leader has never actively worked in national politics, the party leadership is unlikely to ignore his request if it feels his candidature is politically necessary. (PTI)
Is Siddaramaiah preparing to retire from electoral politics, or is he indicating that his influence within the Congress goes beyond holding public office? His recent comment that he will not contest the 2028 Karnataka Assembly elections because “politics has become polluted” has sparked intense political speculation in the state.
On the surface, this appears to be a reflection of an experienced leader nearing the end of his electoral career. But seen in the current political context, this statement raises big questions about succession within the Congress, the future of the Ahinda alliance he has built, the emergence of his son Dr. Yatindra Siddaramaiah as his political successor and setting the stage for his grandson as well. So, is the veteran Congress leader quietly keeping the door open for a bigger national role before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections?
Siddaramaiah has told News18 on several occasions that he has no interest in national politics or contesting parliamentary elections. However, those close to him are now hinting that the situation may no longer be so clear cut. He says that if the party feels that his candidature is necessary then he can be persuaded. If Rahul Gandhi insists and gets strong support from the party cadre, Siddaramaiah may consider entering the fray. However, this possibility is currently on hold.
For a politician with Siddaramaiah’s vast political experience, such public statements are rarely incidental. Therefore time has become as important as the message. Less than two months after stepping down as Karnataka’s longest-serving chief minister, his comments have prompted many to ask whether it was merely personal introspection after decades in public life or a deliberate political message.
Siddaramaiah offered an unusually candid assessment of electoral politics when he was speaking at the 87th birth anniversary celebrations of former chief minister Ramakrishna Hegde at Kyalpete in Mandya.
“I can’t claim that we are all completely honest. This is self-deception. People give us money for elections, and we don’t always know where it comes from. But we use it during campaigns. That’s why I say politics has become polluted.”
Siddaramaiah has already mentioned the increasing influence of money in elections. Even after his expulsion from the Janata Dal (Secular) in 2005, when he explored the possibility of forming a regional party before eventually joining the Congress, he openly acknowledged the financial realities of contesting elections. This time, when he was asked to step down, there were whispers that he was considering starting a party. But that soon ended.
What is different this time is that Siddaramaiah has linked that long-standing criticism to his decision of not contesting the next assembly elections. More importantly, he has only ruled out 2028 Karnataka Assembly elections. At no point has he called for complete retirement from politics or completely rejected the possibility of a national role.
That difference has not gone unnoticed within the Congress. Senior party leaders say that Siddaramaiah’s responsibilities have increasingly extended beyond Karnataka. When he hosted and chaired the Congress’ national conference on backward classes, he was tasked with strengthening the party’s reach among OBC communities across the country. As Rahul Gandhi hopes to sharpen the Congress’ social justice narrative ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, Siddaramaiah’s organizational experience and credibility among backward class communities could prove politically valuable beyond Karnataka, insiders say.
Another aspect of Siddaramaiah’s recent political activity has also given rise to speculation. Soon after stepping down from the post of Chief Minister, he had said that he would travel across Karnataka to strengthen the Ahinda movement. Some interpreted this as an attempt to create an independent political platform. But he was also killed.
Sources close to the veteran leader say Siddaramaiah has never actively worked in national politics, but if the party leadership feels his candidature is politically necessary, it is unlikely to ignore his request. “He has only ruled out contesting the 2028 assembly elections. If Rahul Gandhi insists and there is strong pressure from the party cadre, this could be an option,” a source told News18.
Political analyst A Narayana believes that this statement should not be interpreted as the beginning of Siddaramaiah’s political exit. According to him, there is an important difference between moving away from electoral politics and moving away from active politics. Siddaramaiah has made similar comments in the past as well, but has returned to the electoral fray only when political circumstances demanded. Therefore, Congress has no reason to consider his latest statement politically harmful.
“As long as Siddaramaiah doesn’t do anything against the government the way he has sometimes rebelled when it is out of power, this statement in itself is not going to hurt the Congress. Even if we assume he does not contest elections again, or gradually retires from active electoral politics, he may still remain in the Congress as a senior leader and father figure,” Narayan told News18.
Even before the 2023 assembly elections, Siddaramaiah had hinted that the 2018 election would be his last electoral battle. Eventually, he contested the elections once again and became the Chief Minister. That history explains why many within Congress are taking the latest statement with caution rather than finality.
Even if Siddaramaiah eventually moves away from electoral politics, Narayan believes his political relevance will remain intact as it lies not only in the offices he has held, but also in the social coalition he has built with hard work over two decades.
Few leaders in Karnataka are as closely associated with Ahinda, an alliance of minorities, backward classes and Dalits, as Siddaramaiah. This remains the ideological and electoral basis of their politics and continues to shape the social justice narrative of the Congress in Karnataka.
Narayan argues that whether Siddaramaiah contests elections again or not, he will remain the biggest Ahinda leader. At the same time, he believes that the coalition has reached a stage where leadership should gradually be handed over to the younger generation. He says that the Congress has steadily lost a share of OBC votes over the years, while the Kuruba community has remained largely loyal due to the personal influence of Siddaramaiah. Preserving that support base while allowing a new generation to emerge may become one of Siddaramaiah’s most important political responsibilities.
“When it comes to Ahinda, Siddaramaiah will remain its biggest political symbol. But the next generation should now be allowed to strengthen that alliance. They should not stand in anyone else’s way,” Narayan said.
This naturally draws attention to the question of succession.
During Siddaramaiah’s second term as Chief Minister, his son Dr. Yatindra Siddaramaiah increasingly took charge of political affairs in Varuna and emerged as one of the key political managers of the family. Yathindra’s inclusion in the cabinet after Siddaramaiah stepped down from the post has given rise to speculations that the Congress is gradually grooming him for a bigger role within the party and the government.
According to Narayan, strengthening AHINDA is essentially a political mobilization exercise and should not automatically be seen as an attempt to create a parallel organization outside the Congress. Rather, it is an attempt to preserve and deepen the social alliance that remains central to the party’s electoral strategy in Karnataka.
About the author
Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor, News18, has been a journalist in the television and digital space for almost two decades. She covers South India for News18’s digital platform. She has worked before also…read more
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