Politicians cutting across party lines agree that incumbent Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Deve Gowda and BJP’s BS Yediyurappa count among the tallest mass leaders Karnataka has seen. Deve Gowda and Yediyurappa have bowed out of active politics, and Siddaramaiah resigned today. Speculation is rife about his next move.The writing, it appears, was on the wall. Siddaramaiah is known for his passionate speeches laced with rustic humour, but his last public address to mark the completion of three years of Congress rule in Karnataka was tepid by his standards. His oratorial skills that gripped the audience were absent. Some blamed age, others saw signs of a shift within the Congress government.AdvertisementSiddaramaiah’s political career is a saga of defiance and resilience. Adept at turning challenges into opportunities, he had used his expulsion from the JDS to emerge as a popular leader of Karnataka’s backward communities. And when the mining scam rocked Karnataka, he paved the way for the Congress’s return to power.That he is the longest-serving Chief Minister of Karnataka and the only one in nearly five decades to complete a full term in office reflects his popularity. What endears him to many is his push for welfare schemes for the society’s underprivileged sections.The beginningSiddaramaiah was born on August 3, 1947, at Siddaramanahundi near Mysuru. He is from the Kuruba community, a pastoralist group traditionally marginalised in Karnataka’s caste hierarchy. His father was a farmer, and Siddaramaiah has said his early life was full of hardships. After completing his BSc and LLB, he briefly worked as a lecturer. Inspired by farmer leader MD Nanjundaswamy, Siddaramaiah quit teaching to enter politics.AdvertisementAlso Read | After years of ambition and intrigue, D K Shivakumar set to be Karnataka CMIn 1983, he contested the Chamundeshwari Assembly seat on a Lok Dal ticket and won, marking his entry into the Karnataka Assembly. He quickly rose through the Janata Party ranks under Ramakrishna Hegde’s mentorship, serving as Finance Minister in the Janata Dal government. His reputation as a budget specialist focused on people-centric policies was cemented during this period.Ahinda convention, and expulsion from JD(S)By the early 2000s, Siddaramaiah had become a formidable force in Karnataka politics with a loyal base of followers. His Ahinda vision aimed to consolidate marginalised communities. Then with JDS, he organised an Ahinda convention, challenging the dominance of the so-called upper castes within JDS.Deve Gowda was projecting his son (now Union Minister) HD Kumaraswamy as a political heir, and this seems to have miffed Siddaramaiah, among others. Deve Gowda, the JDS founder, saw Siddaramaiah’s move as a threat to the party’s internal balance. In 2005, Siddaramaiah was expelled from the JDS after being accused of factionalism and indiscipline. This proved to be a turning point. He joined the Congress, bringing with him a strong grassroots base and the Ahinda plank that would redefine Karnataka’s social justice narrative.Siddaramaiah’s expulsion was a major blow for JDS. Not only did heavyweights such as Karnataka minister Satish Jarkiholi switch sides, but several communities loyal to the regional party shifted their allegiance to Siddaramaiah.This helped him emerge as a leader on par with Gowda and Yediyurappa, forcing the Congress to appoint him Leader of Opposition in the Assembly.Taking a padayatra dareIn 2010, Janardhan Reddy, then a powerful BJP leader and mining baron, dared Siddaramaiah to come to Ballari, the epicentre of Karnataka’s mining wealth and corruption scandals. Siddaramaiah responded by leading a 320-km padayatra from Bengaluru to Ballari.The march spotlighted illegal mining and corruption, galvanising public opinion against the Reddy brothers. The mass mobilisation during the padayatra weakened the BJP’s grip on Ballari and dented the image of the then BJP government, already on the backfoot due to the scam allegations. It also positioned Siddaramaiah as a leader unafraid of entrenched interests. The padayatra became a turning point, boosting Congress’s morale and laying the groundwork for its resurgence in Karnataka.The party then returned to power in 2013 and Siddaramaiah became the Chief Minister for the first time.Focus on welfare politicsSiddaramaiah’s tenure is synonymous with welfare politics. Anna Bhagya (free rice distribution), Ksheera Bhagya (milk for schoolchildren), and Shaadi Bhagya (financial aid for poor Muslim women’s marriages) reshaped Karnataka’s welfare landscape, benefiting millions of households. While these schemes were hallmarks of his first tenure, he started the now-popular guarantee schemes in his second term.His style of governance has often been compared to that of former Chief Minister Devaraj Urs for its focus on welfare politics and social justice.you may likeCritics accuse him of populism, arguing his welfare schemes strain the state’s finances. But Siddaramaiah has defended them by pointing out that putting money in the hands of the poor is the best method to boost the economy.Siddaramaiah’s Ahinda strategy consolidated Karnataka’s marginalised communities into a decisive electoral force and became central to the Congress’s revival.His journey underscores the enduring power of social justice politics in Karnataka and his legacy is a reminder that politics rooted in social justice can endure, adapt, and thrive.