Siddaramaiah (file photo)

New Delhi: Congress on Tuesday announced the appointment of former Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah addressed the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the top decision-making body of the party. Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal said in a statement, “Hon’ble Congress President has appointed Shri Siddaramaiah as a 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 of more than eight years across two terms.His appointment as CWC member 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 an internal tussle over the post for a long time, often taking veiled digs at each other. Their rivalry stemmed from a reported understanding with the Congress leadership following the party’s victory in the Karnataka Assembly elections in May 2023. Under this alleged arrangement, Shivakumar was said to have been assured the chief ministership for the latter part of the government’s five-year term, while the party had initially chosen veteran leader Siddaramaiah to lead the government.The tussle escalated after Siddaramaiah continued to reach the first 2.5-year mark in November 2025.Last week, the Congress leadership finally resolved the matter, deciding to honor its “commitment” to Shivakumar, who also serves as the party’s Karnataka unit president.Siddaramaiah had reportedly refused to seek a Rajya Sabha seat and instead opted to remain active in state politics.