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NEW DELHI: The Congress on Tuesday announced the appointment of former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah to the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party’s top decision-making body. In a statement, Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal said, “Hon’ble Congress president has appointed Shri Siddaramaiah as Member of the CWC with immediate effect.” The appointment comes just days after Siddaramaiah stepped down as chief minister, marking the end of his record-long tenure in the post.His appointment as a CWC member also came on the eve of the swearing-in ceremony of his long-time rival and now-former deputy, DK Shivakumar, who is set to take oath as the new chief minister.Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar were involved in a long-running internal tussle over the post, often taking indirect swipes at each other. Their rivalry stemmed from an alleged understanding with the Congress leadership after the party’s May 2023 Karnataka assembly election victory. Under this reported arrangement, Shivakumar was said to have been assured the chief minister’s post for the latter half of the government’s five-year term, while the party initially chose veteran leader Siddaramaiah to head the government.The tussle escalated after Siddaramaiah continued even after the first 2.5-year mark was reached in November 2025.Last week, the Congress leadership finally resolved the matter, deciding to honour its “commitment” to Shivakumar, who also serves as the Karnataka unit president of the party.Siddaramaiah had reportedly declined a Rajya Sabha seat, choosing instead to remain active in state politics.
