NEW DELHI: Outgoing Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Friday had lunch with his deputy DK Shivakumar and minister KJ George, and Legislative Council member Yathindra Siddaramaiah in Delhi.This comes a day after Siddaramaiah decided to step down from Karnataka’s top job, paving way for DK Shivakumar to take over as CM.Earlier in the day, Siddaramaiah met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, as well as Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal, regarding the Karnataka cabinet reshuffle, Rajya Sabha elections and other organisational matters.After the meeting, Kharge, in a social media post on X, praised Siddaramaiah’s contribution to public life, describing him as a leader committed to social justice, equality and the welfare of marginalised communities.“Siddaramaiah’s public life has consistently reflected dignity, compassion, and a deep commitment to social justice. From humble beginnings to serving Karnataka twice as Chief Minister, he remained steadfast in his commitment to equality, harmony, and the welfare of the marginalised. Karnataka and the Congress party remain grateful for his contribution to public life. Wishing him good health and the very best in his continued service to the people,” Kharge said.Siddaramaiah also shared details of the meeting on social media and said senior Congress leaders KJ George, Priyank Kharge and MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah were present during the interaction.“Had a warm meeting with AICC President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge in New Delhi today. Shri KJ George, Shri Priyank Kharge, and MLC Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah were also present,” Siddaramaiah posted on X.Amid intense speculation over the next chief minister, Congress MLA Ashok Pattan said DK Shivakumar is likely to be elected leader of the Congress Legislative Party during the meeting scheduled for Saturday. Earlier, senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily described the development as a “smooth transition” and said the change in leadership had been planned when Siddaramaiah assumed office for a second term.
