Congress Leaders Hold Meetings to Decide Karnataka Chief Minister
New Delhi, May 17: The suspense over the next Karnataka Chief Minister continues as state Congress chief D.K. Shivakumar held a series of meetings with party leaders and MLAs. He met with his loyalist MLAs at his brother’s residence and later had discussions with the state in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala.
Shivakumar’s meetings followed a detailed discussion with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and senior party leader Rahul Gandhi earlier in the day. The Congress leader is among the contenders for the chief ministerial post in the state.
First, Shivakumar met with Rahul Gandhi at 10 Janpath, and their discussion lasted over an hour. He then proceeded to Kharge’s residence, where they had a meeting lasting more than one and a half hours.
Afterward, Shivakumar met with the party MLAs at his brother’s residence, though the specifics of their discussions are yet to be disclosed. The meeting was attended by Congress MLAs Beluru Gopalkrishna, Virendra Pappi, H.C. Balakrishna, Ranganath, and Iqbal Hussain.
During a media interaction, Shivakumar stated that there was no discussion on the chief ministerial post in his meetings with Rahul Gandhi and Kharge. When asked if he would return to Bengaluru that night, he replied, “I don’t know.”
Following the MLAs’ meeting, Shivakumar visited Randeep Singh Surjewala’s residence for further discussions.
Earlier in the day, Surjewala informed the media that party President Mallikarjun Kharge was currently deliberating on the matter. He assured that once the party reaches a decision, it will be announced. He also cautioned against speculations and urged the media to avoid spreading fake news.
Surjewala targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), highlighting that while the BJP takes considerable time to decide on a chief minister, the Congress is actively engaged in the selection process.
He reiterated the commitment of the next Congress government in Karnataka to fulfill the five guarantees made to the people of the state. He emphasized that there would be no “40 per cent commission government” in Karnataka.
As of now, the Congress President has not made any official announcement regarding the new Chief Minister. However, it is believed that Siddaramaiah is favored by many for the top post.
Kharge is expected to announce the new Karnataka Chief Minister on Wednesday or Thursday after reviewing the observers’ report with UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
In the recent Karnataka elections, Congress won 135 out of 224 seats, while the BJP secured only 66 seats.
