BREAKING
UP to establish ‘Vande Mataram Vatika’ on I-dayRBI allows lenders to exclude advances via fresh FCNR(B) deposits from ANBCHC stays appointment of 454 pharmacy officers till Sept 17Silver plunges Rs 6,000, gold slides Rs 2,800Dismiss CBI’s challenge to discharge in excise caseEquities end on a mixed note as geopolitical risks persistHC upholds teacher’s jail term for sexually assaulting minor studentSpecialised investment funds cross Rs 23,000-cr AUM mark in JulyCM inaugurates two-lane bridgeGlobal shares rise as AI-related stocks rebound
National

Siddaramaiah skips first Assembly session of new government

hellohimachalse@gmail.com 14 Aug 2026 2 hours ago

Bengaluru: Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s absence from the opening day of the first Assembly session of Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s government has sparked political speculation within the ruling Congress.

The new government’s first legislative session commenced on Thursday. Shivakumar attended the proceedings and, before entering the Assembly, bowed before the entrance. He later paid his respects to the Chief Minister’s chair before taking part in the proceedings.

Siddaramaiah did not attend the session despite being in Bengaluru. He remained at his Cauvery residence, where he met international award-winning bodybuilder A.V. Ravi. His decision to stay away from the proceedings has attracted attention, coming shortly after the Cabinet expansion.

There has been speculation that Siddaramaiah is unhappy over certain developments related to the Cabinet expansion, though the source material does not establish a reason for his absence.The attendance of Congress legislators was another point of discussion on the first day. Only around 65 to 70 ruling party members, including ministers, were present, while several others stayed away.

Those absent included Siddaramaiah, ministerial aspirants Priya Krishna, M. Krishnappa and Yashwanth Rao Gad, besides former ministers H.C. Mahadevappa and K. Venkatesh.At the same time, several legislators seen as being dissatisfied over the Cabinet expansion were present in the House. They included H.K. Patil, M.C. Sudhakar, Hampanagowda Badarli, S.N. Narayanaswamy, Mankal Vaidya, R.V. Deshpande, Sharath Bache Gowda, B.R. Patil, Lakshmi Hebbalkar, Annapurna Tukaram and Roopashree Shashidhar.

Lakshmi Hebbalkar, who missed out on a ministerial position, also attracted attention through a gesture. While seated in the rear portion of the Assembly, she reportedly touched her forehead with her hand while speaking to colleagues, seemingly conveying that the denial of a ministerial berth was a matter of fate. The absence of several Congress members on the opening day is likely to remain a talking point as the session progresses.

Related News