Karnataka CM Announcement Imminent in 48-72 Hours, Assures Congress

New Delhi: Intensive discussions took place on Wednesday to resolve the deadlock in selecting the Congress’s chief ministerial candidate for Karnataka. Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar, both hopefuls for the position, presented their cases to the party’s top leadership. The Congress party expects to reach a decision within the next one to two days, according to AICC general secretary Randeep Surjewala. He assured that Karnataka will have a stable Congress-led government for the next five years and cautioned against believing speculation and “fake news” allegedly spread by the BJP.

Surjewala emphasized that all Congress leaders have been advised against making statements regarding the leadership matter, and any such remarks will be treated as indiscipline. Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have engaged in several discussions with senior Congress leaders, putting forth their respective claims for the top post. Siddaramaiah is considered the front-runner, as his popularity among various sections, including the poor, OBCs, and minorities, could potentially garner votes for the Congress in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

A decision on the chief minister will be made within the next 48 to 72 hours, followed by the formation of a new cabinet in Karnataka, Surjewala assured. He also emphasized the Congress’ commitment to the state’s peace, progress, and harmony, and urged the media to avoid speculation.

The Congress won 135 out of 224 seats in the assembly elections, and while supporters of both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar advocate for their respective leaders, the party is working on a power-sharing formula to accommodate all sections. The Congress criticized the BJP for its criticism of delay in selecting the chief minister and highlighted instances when the BJP took several days to announce chief ministers in Uttar Pradesh and Assam after winning the elections.

The selection process for the next Chief Minister has been a challenging task for the Congress party since the declaration of the election results.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) finished as a distant second with 66 seats, while the Janata Dal (Secular) (JD(S)) won only 19 seats, falling short of its ambition to play the role of kingmaker in the state.

Preparations are being made at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru for the swearing-in ceremony of the yet-to-be-finalized Chief Minister-designate, as officials inspect the venue.