Siddaramaiah vs DK Shivakumar: Congress may announce the identify of the Karnataka CM in the present day
New Delhi:
The Karnataka suspense over the Chief Minister’s submit after the Congress’s emphatic victory seems headed in direction of a conclusion with social gathering chief Mallikarjun Kharge scheduling conferences with the 2 contenders this night. The assembly with state half chief DK Shivakumar is presently on. Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is subsequent in line — their assembly is due at 6.30 pm.
Mr Shivakumar has made it clear that he wouldn’t again down within the tense rivalry with Siddaramaiah. However he stated he wouldn’t resort to “backstabbing or blackmail”, whatever the social gathering’s determination. He additionally dominated out quitting.
Siddaramaiah spent a lot of yesterday in Delhi, the place he met with senior Congress leaders amid hypothesis that he’s nearer to the end line than his youthful colleague. “Let’s wait and see. I do not know,” he advised reporters cautiously, requested when there can be an announcement.
Yesterday, the social gathering’s management was briefed by the crew of observers on the views of the newly elected MLAs. Mr Kharge and senior leaders Rahul Gandhi and KC Venugopal later held talks on the knotty query of the highest submit, which may have an effect on the social gathering’s prospects within the subsequent 12 months’s basic election.
Settling for both of the 2 contenders could result in alienating the opposite, in addition to their assist base – throughout the social gathering and out.
In DK Shivakumar’s case, it may imply a big part of the politically essential Vokkaligas. In case of Mr Siddaramaiah, it may imply a bit of MLAs backing him, and the AHINDA platform — — an previous social mixture of minorities, Different Backward Courses, and Dalits, which had voted en masse for the Congress.
Sources stated the social gathering may announce the identify of the following Karnataka Chief Minister over the subsequent 24 hours.
The politically essential Lingayat group, in the meantime, has staked declare to the Chief Minister’s submit. In a letter addressed to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha identified that 34 of the 46 Lingayat chief fielded by the Congress have gained. “We now urge the Congress social gathering to offer an opportunity/contemplate (a) Veerashaiva Lingayat group chief for the submit of Chief Minister,” they wrote.
Mr Shivakumar arrived in Delhi this afternoon after canceling his go to final evening, citing a abdomen an infection. “The social gathering is my god…We now have constructed this social gathering, I’m part of it and I’m not alone on this,” he stated earlier than flying out of Bengaluru.
“We now have constructed this social gathering (Congress), we have now constructed this home. I’m part of it…A mom will give every thing to her little one,” he added, indicating that he anticipated the social gathering to reward him for his function in Congress’s Karnataka victory.
However he repeated that he wouldn’t insurgent. “If the social gathering needs, they can provide me the accountability… Ours is a united home, our quantity is 135. I do not need to divide anybody right here. Whether or not they like me or not, I’m a accountable man. I can’t backstab and I can’t blackmail,” Mr Shivakumar asserted.
In polls held final week, the Congress gained a transparent majority in Karnataka, ending with 135 seats within the 224-member meeting. Its celebrations had been, nevertheless, tempered with anxiousness over the Siddaramaiah versus Shivakumar contest for the highest job, which drags on for the third day with out a resolution.
Mr Siddaramaiah, 75, is a former Chief Minister and Mr Shivakumar, 61, is the social gathering’s Karnataka chief. Each declare to have a majority of MLAs backing their declare to the chief minister’s submit.
Whereas Mr Siddaramaiah is seen to be a pacesetter with mass enchantment and accomplished a full time period in 2013-18, Mr Shivakumar is understood for his robust organisational capabilities, and is taken into account resourceful and Congress’ troubleshooter throughout powerful occasions.
Sources near Mr Shivakumar, nevertheless, insist that Mr Siddaramaiah has “by no means been a celebration man and has by no means gained any elections for the social gathering”.
