Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah says he is not aware of being named to head the party’s OBC panel

Stating that he was not aware of being appointed to head the All India Congress Committee’s (AICC) Other Backward Classes (OBC) advisory council, the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday (July 6, 2025) said that he would speak to the party’s high command for clarity.

The council, it is learnt, has been appointed to study problems of the OBC and propose a roadmap to take up OBC issues to woo the communities back to the party fold.

“I do not know about it. Even I saw it in papers. I will speak to the high command today [to seek clarity] on the issue,” the Chief Minister said in Bengaluru after garlanding the statue of Babu Jagajivan Ram to mark the 38th death anniversary of the late leader, in Vidhan Soudha premises.

He said, “I do not know about being appointed as coordinator or chairman. Media has carried posts differently. They [party] had asked [us] to hold a meeting on the OBC issue in Karnataka and a meeting had been planned on July 15. I will speak to the high command.” Asked if he would accept the post, Mr. Siddaramaiah retorted, “Should I run away when the responsibility is given?”

As many as 90 Congress leaders, including five former Chief Ministers and ten former Union Ministers, are learnt to be attending the meeting — the first of which is being held in Bengaluru on July 15 to discuss the OBC issues.

The announcement to the media on Saturday (July 5) about the formation of the 24 -member advisory council, including former Chief Ministers, by the AICC to study and recommend a roadmap to address the OBC issues and Mr. Siddaramaiah named as the council head is being viewed as a larger role that he is being pitched in the national politics. Currently, he is also the senior-most Chief Ministers in the country.

Former Karnataka Chief Minister M. Veerappa Moily, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, former Chattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupendra Bhagel and former Chief Minister of Pondicherry V. Narayanswamy and have been named in the team. Besides Mr. Siddaramaiah and Mr. Moily, senior leader and MLC from Karnataka B.K. Hariprasad has been named.

The advisory council has been approved by the AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, and will study the OBC problems and strategise party’s response to address them. The council is also expected to guide the party in picking up issues related to the OBC, and the party wants to harness the popularity of Mr. Siddaramaiah among the backward classes.

When asked if he was entering national politics that he has stayed away so far, the Chief Minister said, “I have not asked for it. They have announced it. This is not about national politics. I do not know what post has been given.”