Last Update: May 17, 2023, 22:25 IST
Congress leaders Siddaramaiah (left) and DK Shivakumar during a conclave in Bengaluru on April 22. (Image: PTI)
Sources told CNN-News18 that Rahul Gandhi has told Congress chief Kharge that neither he nor anyone in his family will decide or give opinion on the Karnataka chief minister’s post
Back-to-back meetings, Karnataka’s two chief ministerial candidates Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar are camping in Delhi, and speculation is rife as the top leadership in the Congress is still mulling over who will get the top job. Will do and discuss the modalities of government formation. Southern states.
Amid speculation over the next chief minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar on Wednesday held separate discussions with Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala and general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal in Delhi. Did. Government formation.
As of now, former chief minister Siddaramaiah is seen as the frontrunner, while Karnataka Congress chief Shivakumar is seen in a strong position, claiming that the state assembly elections were won under his leadership as he ensured that worked hard to do. an overwhelming victory.
Here are some key updates of the day on political developments in Karnataka:
- Addressing a press conference outside Kharge’s residence in Delhi, Surjewala today said that a decision on the Chief Minister of Karnataka is likely to be taken by Wednesday or Thursday and a new cabinet will be formed in the next 48-72 hours.
- He also claimed that Karnataka would have a stable government for five years and urged people not to believe in speculation and “fake news”, which was being alleged by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
- Earlier in the day, Gandhi met the two top contenders for the chief minister’s post of Karnataka in Delhi. Top Congress sources have told cnn-news18 That the Karnataka Chief Ministerial post is so far only between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar as no third name is discussed during back-to-back meetings with the top Congress leadership. The two leaders did not make any appearances before party leader Gandhi during their meetings with him.
- Sources have also revealed that Gandhi today told Kharge that neither he nor anyone in his family would decide or give opinion on the matter.
- Other sources said Shivakumar has told Kharge that he is “not ready” for the deputy chief minister’s post. Till the issue is resolved, he will also be posted in Delhi.
- While supporters of both the leaders are pitching for their respective leaders, the Congress is reportedly working on a power-sharing formula to please all sections.
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On Tuesday night, Siddaramaiah told a senior Vokkaliga MLA that it “should be either him or a third person, but not his rival Shivakumar”. According to the MLA, Siddaramaiah told him that all the surveys gave him the highest approval rating and Shivakumar got only 10 per cent of it. Also, the Ehinda – minorities, backward classes and Dalits – have largely voted for the Congress, hoping that Siddaramaiah will be made the chief minister and if not, they will break away from the Congress. The MLA claimed that the party in the coming Lok Sabha elections.
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Meanwhile, sources said on Tuesday that Shivakumar told the top leadership that he has no problem if Kharge becomes the chief minister of the state. However, he said that if he is not given the post of CM, he will sit as an MLA in the assembly and he is not ready for any other offer.
(With inputs from PTI)
