Siddaramaiah to be new Karnataka CM, DK Shivakumar his deputy, claims report but Congress yet to declare

Karnataka Congress stalwart Siddaramaiah will be next chief minister of the state and state party chief DK Shivakumar will be his deputy, reports quoting sources have claimed.

According to an India Today report, after days of deliberating, the Congress high command has finally made up their mind and green-lighted Siddaramaiah as the next chief minister of Karnataka with DK Shivakumar likely to be given the deputy CM responsibilities.

The report, quoting Congress sources, said that Siddaramaiah will likely be sworn-in on Thursday afternoon and will take the oath alone.

A Congress legislator party meeting will be called tomorrow at Kanteerava Stadium around 3.30 pm, the report said.

Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah were the main contenders for the state’s top post after the grand old party registered a thumping victory in last week’s Assembly elections by winning 135 out of the 224 seats.

Shivakumar, who along with Siddaramaiah, was the backbone of the Congress campaign that ousted the BJP from power in the recently held elections, is likely to be offered coveted portfolios along with the Deputy CM chair, the report said.

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On Tuesday, Congress scion Rahul Gandhi met party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Randeep Surjewala to deliberate upon picking the Chief Ministerial candidate for Karnataka.

Both DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah also met the party’s top leadership in New Delhi on Tuesday.

On Saturday, the Congress registered a huge victory in the Karnataka Assembly polls, wresting the power back from arch rivals BJP as it secured a simple majority with 135 seats in 224-seat Assembly.

The ruling BJP won 66 seats while former CM HD Kumaraswamy’s Janata Dal (Secular) secured 19 seats.

Siddaramaiah’s veteran guile, leadership skills and mass popularity and DK Shivakumar’s organisation abilities have been credited for the Congress’s remarkable comeback in the Karnataka polls where even the BJP’s trusted method of calling in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, failed.

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