On Sunday, May 14, the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in Karnataka reached a unanimous decision to entrust the selection of its leader to the discretion of Mallikarjun Kharge – the President of the All India Congress Committee (AICC).
After the Congress Legislature Party’s meeting, a concise resolution was passed stating, “The Congress Legislature Party unanimously resolves that AICC President is hereby authorised to appoint the new Leader of the Congress Legislature Party.”
CLP Resolution: The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) unanimously resolves that AICC President is hereby authorised to appoint the new Leader of the Congress Legislature Party. #KarnatakaResultsWithPTI pic.twitter.com/NzyuquWVTn
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 14, 2023
Interestingly, even before this resolution by the CLP, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had said that the party’s high command will decide who will be the chief minister in Karnataka.
Initially, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge designated Sushilkumar Shinde, along with party leaders Jitendra Singh and Deepak Babaria, as observers for overseeing the election of the Congress Legislative Party leader in Karnataka.
Before the meeting, Kharge stated that the CLP would submit its report to the party’s high command, which will carefully consider and determine the next Chief Minister of Karnataka. Now, after a resounding victory, the party’s attention has shifted towards the selection of the next chief minister for the state, with two leading contenders, DK Shivakumar, and Siddaramaiah.
In the recent Karnataka Assembly elections, the Congress party secured a total of 135 out of 224 seats, resulting in the removal of the Bharatiya Janata Party, which obtained 66 seats, from power. Additionally, the Janata Dal (Secular) achieved victory on 19 seats.
Notably, both Shivakumar, who has been elected as an MLA for eight consecutive terms, and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah have openly expressed their aspirations to become the Chief Minister. In the past, they have engaged in a political rivalry, striving to outdo each other. Before the meeting, supporters of both Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah displayed posters advocating for their respective candidacies as the next Chief Minister of the state.
According to sources, the Congress party is even considering a plan to divide the Chief Minister’s tenure between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar. Under this potential arrangement, Siddaramaiah may assume the Chief Minister’s role for the initial 2.5 years, while DK Shivakumar would be entrusted with the responsibility for the subsequent 2.5 years.
If Siddaramaiah, who joined the Congress party following his expulsion from JD(S), is elected as the CLP leader, it would mark his second term as Chief Minister after previously holding the esteemed position for five years between 2013 and 2018. DK Shivakumar had previously served as a Minister in Siddaramaiah’s cabinet.
