After decisively defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka on Saturday, the Congress now has to choose a new chief minister amid rumours that Siddaramaiah is the front-runner, followed by state party chairman DK Shivakumar.
Karnataka Congress officials, including the party president and freshly elected MLAs of the party, will conduct a Congress Legislature Party meeting today in Bengaluru with the goal of making a decision. Sources claim that the leaders would adopt a resolution empowering the party’s high command to choose the faces of the chief minister and the deputy chief minister.
According to source, “Siddaramaiah is the first front-runner for the CM Post, so the Congress high command is in favour of making him the chief minister, they added that in recognition of his efforts, the party’s leadership has offered him the position of Deputy CM.
Shivakumar has also been promised a significant ministry, source said.
After winning the elections in Karnataka, which the party referred to as a “stepping stone to the Lok Sabha polls,” sources claim that Congress wants to promote OBC Kurba Samaj member Siddaramaiah for the position of chief minister. According to sources, the party is considering no less than three deputy chief ministers for Karnataka.
“DK Shivakumar of Vokkaliga Samaj, G Parameshwara of Dalit Samaj, and MB Patil of Lingayat Samaj should be the Deputy CM with him,” they said.
“Congress has also told Shivakumar that there are ED cases against him, which BJP will create a ruckus about. So he accepted the proposal till 2024. Shivakmar is ready for this, but he does not want another deputy CM,” sources added.
Earlier today, Congress MLAs including Dinesh Gundu Rao, Rizwan Arshad, Puttaranga Shetty C and Satish Jarkiholi met party leader Siddaramaiah in Bengaluru today ahead of the party’s CLP meeting.
Arrived at the Bengaluru home of the party’s national president Mallikarjun Kharge were Siddaramaiah and Congress MLA Priyank Kharge.
Following the party’s victory in the Karnataka elections, Congress leaders Bhai Jagtap, Sanjay Nirupam, and other party members chanted “Hanuman Chalisa” at a temple in Mumbai.
After winning the elections, DK Shivakumar, the president of the Karnataka Congress, travelled with his family to Nonavinakere Kadasiddeshwara Mutt to seek the blessings of Vrishabha Deshikendra Seer.
In the Karnataka Assembly elections, the Congress gained 135 seats, displacing the BJP from power, which took home 66 seats.