Newly elected Congress MLAs in Karnataka on Sunday authorised party president Mallikarjun Kharge to pick the next chief minister, with the leadership battle heating up between Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar – the frontrunners for the coveted post.
AICC General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal said the central observers will take the opinion of MLAs which will be conveyed to the party president. “This process of taking the opinion of all MLAs would be completed today itself,” he said.
The Congress Legislature Party, which met at a private hotel here on Sunday evening in the presence of the three central observers, passed a unanimous resolution authorising the party chief to pick its leader.
Randeep Surjewala, AICC in-charge for Karnataka, said the first resolution was moved by state Congress chief Shivakumar thanking all the leaders and the workers and people of Karnataka, while the second single-line resolution was moved by former chief minister Siddaramaiah.
“The MLAs would meet the central observers after dinner tonight and their decision will be conveyed to the party president for taking a decision to appoint a new CLP leader,” Surjewala said after the meeting.
Outside the meeting venue, supporters of Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar chanted slogans and raised banners and flags in their support.
While the two leaders earlier held meetings with the MLAs loyal to them, a poster war also erupted with both sides projecting their leader as the next chief minister.
Kharge had deputed former Maharashtra chief minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, AICC general secretary Jitendra Singh and former AICC general secretary Deepak Babaria as observers for the election of the CLP leader.
The Congress central observers, along Newly elected Congress MLAs in Karnataka on Sunday authorised party president Mallikarjun Kharge to pick the next chief minister, with the leadership battle heating up between Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar – the frontrunners for the coveted post.
AICC General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal said the central observers will take the opinion of MLAs which will be conveyed to the party president. “This process of taking the opinion of all MLAs would be completed today itself,” he said.
The Congress Legislature Party, which met at a private hotel here on Sunday evening in the presence of the three central observers, passed a unanimous resolution authorising the party chief to pick its leader.
Randeep Surjewala, AICC in-charge for Karnataka, said the first resolution was moved by state Congress chief Shivakumar thanking all the leaders and the workers and people of Karnataka, while the second single-line resolution was moved by former chief minister Siddaramaiah.
“The MLAs would meet the central observers after dinner tonight and their decision will be conveyed to the party president for taking a decision to appoint a new CLP leader,” Surjewala said after the meeting.
Outside the meeting venue, supporters of Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar chanted slogans and raised banners and flags in their support.
While the two leaders earlier held meetings with the MLAs loyal to them, a poster war also erupted with both sides projecting their leader as the next chief minister.
Kharge had deputed former Maharashtra chief minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, AICC general secretary Jitendra Singh and former AICC general secretary Deepak Babaria as observers for the election of the CLP leader.
The Congress central observers, along with Venugopal, were in a huddle with Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar before the legislature party meeting.
The Congress president, who returned to Delhi, had earlier said the AICC observers will convey the opinion of the party MLAs to the high command which will then take a final decision.
He also asserted the government will be formed as soon as possible.
Both Siddaramaiah (75), and Shivakumar (60) have made no secret of their ambition to become the chief minister.