Siddaramaiah resigns as Cong legislature party leader after defeat in K'taka bypoll

Bengaluru: After facing debacle in the Karnataka bypolls, former chief minister Siddaramaiah resigned as Congress Legislative party leader on Monday. The Congress leader has also resigned as leader of Opposition in Karnataka Assembly.

“As a leader of legislative party, I need to respect democracy. I have resigned as Congress Legislative Party leader. I have submitted my resignation to Sonia Gandhi Ji,” said Siddaramaiah after poor show by Congress in the Karnataka Assembly bypolls.

The ruling BJP bagged 10 seats and was leading in two others out of 15 constituencies that went for assembly bypolls last week, helping the B S Yediyurappa government hold on to power.

The Congress, which won 12 of those 15 seats in the 2018 assembly polls, won only in two segments -- Hunasuru and Shivajinagar, while its former ally the JD(S) trailed in all the 12 seats it had contested.

JD(S) had won in three- K R Pete, Mahalakshmi Layout and Hunsur- out of these 15 constituencies in the 2018 assembly polls.