Siddaramaiah will be the next CM of Karnataka, DK Shivakumar, deputy CM and the oath-taking ceremony of the CM and deputy CM will be held in Bengaluru on 20 May, Congress sources said on Thursday after the party arrived at a consensus on government formation in the state following hectic parleys.
They said that Mallikarjun Kharge, the leader of the Congress, and other parties engaged in negotiations until midnight to find a compromise between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, the two candidates for chief minister.
“It has been decided by consensus that Siddaramaiah will be the next chief minister and Shivakumar will be the deputy chief minister,” Congress source said.
Sources said the party leadership also decided to have around 20-25 new ministers.
D K Shivakumar, the head of the party’s state unit, has convened a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting here on Thursday night as uncertainty over the formation of a new administration in Karnataka still continues.
The newly elected MLAs, MLCs, and MPs will gather at the Indira Gandhi Bhavan on Queen’s Road in Bangalore at 7 p.m., according to a letter from the KPCC chief to all the legislators.
On Wednesday, frantic negotiations were held to break the impasse in selecting the Congress’ chief ministerial candidate in Karnataka. Both contenders, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, presented their cases before the top brass, despite the party’s claims that a decision is likely to be made in the next day or two.
A decision regarding the new cabinet will be made within the next 48 to 72 hours, according to Randeep Surjewala, general secretary in-charge for Karnataka of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), following numerous rounds of debate.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi are trying to convince DKS to accept deputy CM post in the party interest. Power sharing formula can work out, as report claims.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge will invite opposition leaders to attend the oath taking ceremony of the new Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka. The Gandhi family, Congress chief ministers and senior Congress leaders will attend the event in Bengaluru.
Karnataka has waited three days for the announcement of the next chief minister, which is anticipated from Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge today. The head of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) and opposition leader Siddaramaiah are the two leading candidates.
The Congress has also fielded other candidates for the position, including veteran politician and former deputy CM G Parameshwara. On Tuesday, Kharge met with a number of party officials, including Rahul Gandhi, the central observers for the Congress, recently elected MLAs, and the two leading candidates, Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah.
DK Shivakumar, the head of the Karnataka Congress, cancelled his trip plans on Monday due to a stomach bug. He finally arrived in Delhi on Tuesday to meet with the national leadership. He declared that he will support the high command despite rumours that he might revolt or resign.
After the May 10 assembly election, the Congress party experienced a significant victory in Karnataka, winning 135 seats and becoming the only party, giving the state a clear mandate. The Janata Dal (Secular), a local party, managed to win 19 seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) managed to win 66 seats.
