Karnataka govt formation: Senior Congress leaders Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar along with other Karnataka unit leaders met Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Thursday and staked claim to form the next government in the state. The swearing-in ceremony will take place on May 20. A while ago, Siddaramaiah was named as the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader days after hectic deliberations over the formation of a new government in Karnataka. The meeting was called by the party's state unit chief DK Shivakumar after senior leader Siddaramaiah was named as the next Chief Minister of Karnataka. The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief has written to all the legislators, asking them to attend the meeting of newly-elected MLAs, MLCs and MPs at the Indira Gandhi Bhavan at 7 pm in Bengaluru.
Speaking on the CLP meeting, Congress leader Priyanka Kharge said, "The observers, along with Randeep Surjewala, announced the high command's decision to have Siddaramaiah as the CLP leader and DK Shivakumar as the KPCC chief as well as Deputy CM-elect. They will be taking the oath on May 20."
Meanwhile, Congress leader UT Khader in a response to query on aspiration for a ministerial post said, "We are eager to work for the people of Karnataka, everything else is secondary."
Congress held multiple meetings before reaching consensus
On Wednesday (May 17), the Congress top brass held a series of meetings to break the deadlock in deciding on the Congress's chief ministerial pick in Karnataka, with both the contenders -- Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar -- presenting their cases.
After multiple rounds of discussions, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in-charge for Karnataka Randeep Surjewala said a decision on the new cabinet will be in place in the next 48-72 hours. Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah was named as the next Chief Minister and DK Shivakumar has been given the post of Deputy Chief Minister.
"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 that the Congress president believes in three principles -- consensus, unanimity and unity.
ALSO READ: Karnataka: Siddaramaiah to be next Chief Minister, DK Shivakumar his deputy as impasse ends
Cong chief Kharge played big role in breaking deadlock
After the landslide win in the polls, the Congress legislative party met late evening on May 14 in Bengaluru and passed a one-line resolution empowering Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge to pick the head of the legislative party.
Meanwhile, supporters of Siddaramaiah were seen bursting firecrackers in Bengaluru on Wednesday. They also poured milk on his poster and chanted slogans for him outside his residence after it was reported that the veteran leader would once again take charge as the CM of the state.
It should be mentioned here that Congress had emerged as the single largest party in Karnataka after winning the May 10 assembly election. It won 135 seats in the 224-member Karnataka assembly, while BJP managed 66 seats.
(With inputs from agencies)
