Siddaramaiah CM & DK Will Be ‘Only’ Deputy, No Power-Sharing; Preps On In Bengaluru for Oath-Taking

The deadlock over who would become the Karnataka Chief Minister is over as the Congress on Thursday confirmed during a presser that Siddaramaiah will get the top post and DK Shivakumar will be the “only” Deputy Chief Minister in the southern state. The oath-taking ceremony will be held at 12.30 pm on May 20. Hectic parleys were held for the last three days to decide the Chief Ministerial pick in Karnataka with both the aspirants Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar presenting their cases before the top brass. After multiple rounds of discussions, AICC general secretary in-charge for Karnataka

Randeep Singh Surjewala on Wednesday said a new cabinet will be in place within 72 hours.

He also claimed that Karnataka will have a five-year-long stable government of the Congress and urged people not to believe in speculation and “fake news”, which he alleged was being peddled by the BJP.

In a tweet, Surjewala also said all Congress leaders have been advised not to issue statements on the leadership matter. “Any out of turn remarks made from here onwards will be treated as indiscipline and action taken accordingly.” Congress general secretary in-charge organisation KC Venugopal met party president Mallikarjun Kharge late in the evening at the latter’s residence to deliberate on government formation.

Shivakumar also met Venugopal and later told reporters that “we have left it to the high command, the high command will take a call”.

A section of the top Congress leadership feels Siddaramaiah’s popularity among several sections including the poor, OBCs and minorities can get votes for the party in the Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing the media outside Congress president Kharge’s 10 Rajaji Marg residence, Surjewala said the party chief has been authorised to appoint the leader of the legislature party and that is why deliberations are underway.

“It (the decision to name the CM) is a matter of today and tomorrow and we will have a leader of the legislature party. Within the next 48 to 72 hours, we will have a new cabinet in Karnataka and in the first cabinet meeting, we will implement the five Congress guarantees and begin the work of building grand Karnataka,” Surjewala said.

Asserting that the Congress is committed to the state’s peace, progress and harmony, he said, “The Congress president believes in three principles — consensus, unanimity and unity. Mallikarjun Kharge, who has been authorised by the legislature party, will announce (the name of the leader) after holding due deliberations.” Urging the media not to resort to speculation, he said whenever a decision is taken by the Congress president, we will be happy to inform you.

“I am only here to quash multiple rumours and hearsay…that are being played on multiple news channels. Please don’t believe in it,” Surjewala said.

“Stop listening to rumours being planted by the BJP which is frustrated by the decisive defeat in Karnataka. The Congress is committed to the welfare of each Kannadiga, the Congress is committed to fulfilling its five guarantees, the Congress is committed to implementing its agenda. The Congress is committed to giving a clean, transparent and responsible government,” he said.

After several meetings on Monday and Tuesday, the day started with both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar meeting Rahul Gandhi separately at his 10, Janpath residence in the morning.

The Karnataka PCC chief then met Kharge again and spent a good half an hour with him for the second day in a row.

One of the central observers for the Karnataka Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting Sushilkumar Shinde also met the Congress president separately at his residence.

Some Congress legislators also met the Congress president while presenting their case for a ministerial berth in the new cabinet in Karnataka.

The newly-elected Congress MLAs in Karnataka had during the CLP meeting on Sunday authorised Kharge to appoint the new CLP leader.

While the supporters of both leaders are pitching for their respective leaders, the Congress is working on a power-sharing formula to accommodate all sections.

The Congress has held a series of meetings on who will be the chief minister of the state after the party staged a stunning victory in the assembly elections, winning 135 of out 224 seats.

The Congress has also hit out at the BJP for criticising it over the delay in deciding the chief minister of Karnataka, and cited examples when the BJP declared its chief ministers in Uttar Pradesh and Assam several days after winning the polls.