Team News Riveting
New Delhi, May 17
Three days after party’s thumping victory in Karnataka, the grand-old party is learnt to finalised the name of Siddaramaiah to head the government in the southern state.
Siddaramaiah on Wednesday met Rahul Gandhi amid hectic parleys in the party to name its chief minister face. The meeting comes a day after Siddaramaiah met Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge at his house and discussed with him government formation.
Sources said ending the ongoing suspense, the Congress high command has finalised senior leader Siddaramaiah as the next Chief Minister of Karnataka. This comes after three days of a tussle as Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Congress President D K Shivakumar had staked the clam for the top post. The official announcement regarding the development will be made by Rahul Gandhi in a press conference later.
The sources said that Shivakumar had expressed his resentment for being denied the Chief Ministership. He met Rahul Gandhi today and the meeting continued for long. Sources said Congress party would announce the name of Siddaramaiah only after convincing Shivakumar.
Earlier, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal visited party MP Sonia Gandhi’s 10 Janpath residence in Delhi. She is expected to meet some leaders who are part of the decision-making process in Karnataka, sources added.
The results of Karnataka assembly polls were declared on Saturday (May 13) and the newly-elected Congress MLAs on Sunday authorised Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to take a decision on the Chief Minister post. With the action shifting to Delhi, both Siddaramaiah, a former Chief Minister of Karnataka, and Shivakumar reached Delhi.
The priority of Congress leadership is to ensure that the matter settles at the earliest for smooth running of the government so that the party can concentrate on its preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Reports reaching from Bengaluru said celebration had started outside the residence of Siddaramaiah while Shivakumar house wore a deserted look though the party had not yet official announced the name of next Karnataka Chief Minister.
