Siddaramaiah vs DK Shivakumar: Congress might announce the title of the Karnataka CM right now
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 celebration chief Mallikarjun Kharge scheduling conferences with the 2 contenders this night. The assembly with state half chief DK Shivakumar is at present on. Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is subsequent in line — their assembly is due at 6 pm.
Mr Shivakumar has made it clear that he wouldn’t again down within the tense rivalry with Siddaramaiah. However he mentioned he wouldn’t resort to “backstabbing or blackmail”, whatever the celebration’s choice. 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 informed reporters cautiously, requested when there can be an announcement.
Yesterday, the celebration’s management was briefed by the workforce 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 might have an effect on the celebration’s prospects within the subsequent 12 months’s normal election.
Settling for both of the 2 contenders could result in alienating the opposite, in addition to their help base – inside the celebration and out.
In DK Shivakumar’s case, it might imply a big part of the politically essential Vokkaligas. In case of Mr Siddaramaiah, it might 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 mentioned the celebration might announce the title of the subsequent Karnataka Chief Minister over the subsequent 24 hours.
The politically essential Lingayat neighborhood, 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 received. “We now urge the Congress celebration to offer an opportunity/think about (a) Veerashaiva Lingayat neighborhood chief for the submit of Chief Minister,” they wrote.
Mr Shivakumar arrived in Delhi this afternoon after canceling his go to final night time, citing a abdomen an infection. “The celebration is my god…We have now constructed this celebration, I’m part of it and I’m not alone on this,” he mentioned earlier than flying out of Bengaluru.
“We have now constructed this celebration (Congress), we’ve got constructed this home. I’m part of it…A mom will give all the pieces to her youngster,” he added, indicating that he anticipated the celebration to reward him for his position in Congress’s Karnataka victory.
However he repeated that he wouldn’t insurgent. “If the celebration 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 cannot backstab and I cannot blackmail,” Mr Shivakumar asserted.
In polls held final week, the Congress received a transparent majority in Karnataka, ending with 135 seats within the 224-member meeting. Its celebrations have been, nonetheless, tempered with nervousness over the Siddaramaiah versus Shivakumar contest for the highest job, which drags on for the third day with no answer.
Mr Siddaramaiah, 75, is a former Chief Minister and Mr Shivakumar, 61, is the celebration’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 attraction 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 robust occasions.
Sources near Mr Shivakumar, nonetheless, insist that Mr Siddaramaiah has “by no means been a celebration man and has by no means received any elections for the celebration”.